An Adolescent Alliance
by mysticgirl101
Summary: THREE WAY CROSSOVER:BONES, CASTLE, NCIS. Linked to my other stories, how three daughters, of three teams come together and form a unity between the teams, similar pasts link them, and it soon comes at them again. dont own Castle, Bones or NCIS, Please R & R
1. Prologue

**Hi everyone, this is a three way crossover that I have been working on for a while, but it isn't your average crossover , this is a crossover linking my other stories together, as in the characters I created in my stories – their children. It isn't mandatory but I would suggest you read them, even though a couple of them aren't very good because they were my first fictions. The stories are:**

**Bones: The Daughter in the Danger, The Daughter's Déjà vu **

**NCIS: One Big Dysfunctional NCIS Family (prequel, not important), Out to Get You, Family Blood Ties (most important)**

**Castle: Her Secret Life No More.**

**Although this is a three way crossover I have to say it leans more towards Castle, there isn't favouritism it is just the other two have sequels, HSLNM does not. I have been writing this with my friend Livie (Jisbonforever), we have been thinking up ideas and I have been writing furiously, we are both I think really pleased with this, I wasn't originally planning to publish it for a while but I couldn't wait :D**

**Really hope you like it, would love some feedback.**

_**To the real Livie: thanks for all your help writing this story, without your help, it wouldn't be possible.**_

An Adolescent Alliance

Prologue

Branches lashed at me, tearing at my skin, roots grabbed at my ankles trying to drag me down, it felt like even nature itself was against me, determined to stop me. But the angry nature wasn't the scariest thing out here so I pressed on, forcing myself to run faster, to be stronger. I forced my way through a thicket, vines wrapped around my wrists, like the fingers on those snatching hands that were chasing me, thorns cut through my skin as easily as though it were air, leaving bloody red furrows running up and down my arms.

I could hear shouting from behind me, and I struggled on breaking branches that blocked my path, the loud cracks they made echoed through the silent night no doubt alerting my chasers to my location. _Crack, crack, crack. _This time it was not I who made those cracks, they were from my chasers, they were gunshots, and the bullets were aimed at me.

At last I broke free of the thicket, though branches still clung to me, snagging my hair, more gunshots sounded and I heart a gentle _'pft'_ as a bullet buried itself into the trunk of the tree, against was I was leaning, catching my breath. I bolted. My lungs ached, I had been running for so long, they screamed at me to stop and breathe but every other fibre of my being screamed at me to not stop, to find safety, and that was the part of me that I decided to follow, adrenaline drove me on.

More roots grabbed me and this time they succeeded, I tumbled to the ground. Gasping I scrambled up only to freeze still breathing hard as I felt something cold get pressed against my neck "don't move" was growled in my ear and too exhausted to fight I obeyed. I turned when told to stare into my triumphant opponent's face, he leered at me, slowly the gun still pointed at my head he raised his hand, inside which a walkie talkie rested, smiling victoriously at me he lifted it to his he mouth.

At that moment there was a savage strangled angry cry and he spun round only to yelp as a heavy log collided with his face, he dropped to the floor without making a sound, without reporting our position, I looked at my saviour, her clothes like mine were torn and her arms and cheeks were covered in cuts, her hair was ragged but her rich brown eyes gleamed with the excitement of the chase, the thrill of fear that she felt, "thanks" I said panting "any time" she said with a small grin also breathing hard. Then her face turned serious "where's Tali" she asked, I didn't need to answer, the look on my face said it all, I didn't know, and neither did she. Suddenly there was shouting and we both dropped to the ground hiding between the roots of a tree, a small dark shape rushed past and we both hissed out to her, she turned and relief was written across her face, then she looked up and it was replaced by fear, she looked at us and then gave a small smile, illuminated by the little light that the moon gave us, we stared at her in horror, shaking our heads frantically but she looked determined, 'run' she mouthed then she turned and fled.

I tried to leap up after her but my other friend held me down, her hand over my mouth as more dark shapes rushed past us, there was silence, then three loud cracks that made us flinch, they seemed even louder than they should be in the silent forest, listening hard we heard a muffled thump and then the sound of our attackers cheering. We stared at each other in horror "no not Tali" I whispered, shock and fear consuming me, Tali was the strongest out of the three of us, she couldn't have been captured, but she had.

We weren't safe there and although it pained us to do so, to leave our friend, not knowing her fate, we leapt up and stumbled away. We stayed close together, determined not to be separated again, for fear of capture, we moved as silently as possible through the dark trees, looking desperately for an escape, a friendly light, a gap in the trees, anything. But there was nothing, we were in the middle of nowhere, all alone, except for each other with men with guns out to get us.

Suddenly from behind there was shouting and before we could stumble more than a few steps, there was a crack, my companion groaned, and then staggered before falling, a dart in her side, "April" I gasped terrified falling to my knees beside her, "run" she gasped. I looked over my shoulder, in what little light there was I saw our abductors moving towards us, one of which I could see was holding a limp figure slung over his shoulder. Tali. "Livie" April gasped, her voice was beginning to slur "run", there was a shout as one of the men spotted me still standing.

But I didn't move, as scared as I was I knew my place, and that was here with my new friends, I wouldn't abandon them, we were so alike, we understood each other better than anyone else did. So I stood there frozen to the spot, trembling, strong arms grabbed me, a cloth was placed over my mouth and nose, but I didn't fight, I began to feel dizzy as I breathed in whatever was on the cloth, the world swayed and my body went limp as I fell to the floor, as my eyes began to droop I stared at the canopy of trees above me and at the beautiful moon above me, glowing, then the world went black.

**Hi, I know it was short but, it was just a taster, next chapter is written, let me know if I should add it **

**I always am I am open to any and all suggestions**

**Please review, the more reviews I get the faster I will update, promise**

**Also if anyone wants a specific story, check out my profile and see if I know the show, or whatever and inbox me, I am happy to give it a go.**

**Thanks**

**Mysticgirl101**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, thank you all to those who reviewed, alerted or added to favourites, much appreciated.**

**This is Chapter one: SPOILER ALERT: this is all Castle, if you have not seen KNOCKOUT or RISE, I suggest you don't read unless you don't mind a spoiler, it is Knockout and Rise – HSLNM version.**

**Enjoy (I don't own any of these shows unfortunately, otherwise this wouldn't be fiction, it would be reality)**

Chapter 1

"Captain" Kate called as she stepped into the dark hangar, her eyes keenly probing the shadows searching for her boss "captain" she called again, "over here" she heard and she instantly stepped towards the sound of his voice. As she did so she heard her phone bleep and she pulled it out as she walked, as she clicked onto the message from Ryan she saw her boss step out of the shadows, then she froze as she read the text, she stared, hoping that it was some sort of sick joke or her mind playing tricks on her, but it wasn't, she reread the message hating every word

'3rd Cop

It's Montgomery!'

Her eyes flashed up to where he stood and from behind his back he produced a gun a large revolver that wasn't his service weapon, and he clicked the safety off. For the first time ever in the presence of her captain, she felt a thrill of fear run through her. She looked up at his face and saw that he was staring at her his face sombre, his eyes full of regret and determination.

Very slowly she put her phone away but as she brought her hand back round she rested it on her gun, it felt so wrong, everything that she was wanted to move away from this place and figure out what the hell was going on, but she was a cop, and it was the cop part of her that took over now "put the gun away Roy" she said, pleased that her voice didn't quiver with hurt, she slowly walked forward one footstep at a time, alert for any movements he might make. "Kate I'm not going to jail for this, I won't put my family through that" he said, still moving forward Kate stumbled for something to say, but there was only one question she wanted to ask "why" she said simply.

Montgomery lowered his head slightly and sighed "I was a rookie when it happened Kate" he slowly walked forward but she took a few steps back now maintaining the distance between them "McCallister and Raglin were heroes to me and I believed in what we were doing, we were just going to snatch Bugadi that night, Bob Armen wasn't even supposed to be there" he continued to walk forward gun at his side but now Kate didn't back away she held her position trying to feel strong and not show how hurt she was "Armen reached for my gun, that's when I heard the shot, I didn't even know it was my gun that went off until Armen went down, then McCallister pulled me into the van, I remember him saying 'it's ok kid it's not your fault, happens in this town every day.

McCallister and Raglin tried to drown it, but not me, I put it all into the job Kate, I became the best cop I could be" she stared at him the hurt now showing on her face, he gazed at her and there was hurt in his eyes to, along with desperation "and then when you walked into the 12th, I felt the hand of God, I knew he was giving me a another chance and I thought, if I could protect you the way I should have protected her"

That lit the fire inside of Kate and she clenched her jaw slightly, as she spoke she could hear the anger and her voice was commanding, demanding an answer "did you kill my mother" she said "no" Montgomery said and Kate felt the tiniest bit relieved "that was years later, but she died because of what we did that night" "then who killed her" Kate asked trying to keep calm, but she just felt so betrayed.

Montgomery stood there and looked at her for a long minute before he began to talk "I don't know how but somehow he figured out what we had done, he could have turned us all in but instead he demanded the ransom money, he took that money to become what he is and God forgive me but that might be my greatest sin" Kate took a step forward "give me a name" she demanded quietly "you owe me that Roy" he looked at her sadly "no Kate I know you, you'll run straight at him, I might as well shot you where you stand"

Anger and fear made her lash out "that's why you brought me here isn't it" she said moving closer so that she was right in his face "to kill me" he looked at her calmly "no I brought you here to lure them, I would never kill you Kate, I would never cause your little girl that much pain" Kate blinked confused "you baited them" she gasped, Montgomery didn't answer, he looked out of the hangar "and now they are coming" he said and she followed his gaze to see the lights of a car "I need you to leave" Montgomery said and she looked at him "they are coming to kill you and I am not going to let them, I am going to end this" she looked at him, did he really not know her "I am not going anywhere sir" she said proudly and defiantly.

"yes you are" he said nodding his head "Castle get her out of here" she turned to see her husband, the husband that she had been unknowingly pushing aside, determined to finish this case, she stared at him for a second as he moved forward "Captain" he began but Montgomery cut him off "don't argue, that is why I called you, get her out of her now" Kate shrugged out of his grip suddenly frightened but not for herself "Captain please just listen to me, you don't have to do this" "Kate" she heard Rick whisper taking hold of her again "no please no" she said her voice beginning to break as she struggled free again.

"no" she begged "sir I forgive you" she saw a hint of doubt in his eyes "I forgive you" she said again "Kate" he said softly "you have a family now, a daughter, I won't let her lose you, because I know she is just like you and she will go after those who killed you and that will lead to a never ending circle of bloodshed" Kate felt tears in her eyes as she stared at him "this is my spot Kate" he said softly "this is where I stand" she felt tears in her eyes and she began to cry as she looked into his eyes, determined, unwavering, "no" she sobbed "no sir please listen to me, you don't have to do this" then out of the corner of her eye she saw the dark shape of a car containing whoever was sent to kill her come speeding forward "Castle get her out of here _now_" Montgomery shouted she felt Rick grab hold of her lifting her against her will "you don't have to do this" she begged, then she was being carried away "no" she cried out, but it mixed in with a strangled sob "Castle let me go" she screamed through her tears fighting him desperately, he must know she meant it she never called his Castle anymore, but he kept a tight hold on her and managed to get out the back door, desperately she twisted and saw her Captain staring after her, the determination back in his eyes, then he turned to face the car as it screeched to a stop, "please" she screamed, then the door closed.

"no please" she sobbed again, thrashing, then all the grief when she realised that there was nothing she could do came crashing down on her and the fight was drained out of her, she hung in Rick's embrace crying hard, he set her down resting her against the car "shh Kate shh" he whispered covering her mouth with his hand as she sobbed loudly, he brushed hair out of her face shushing her desperately as she sobbed, she lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek, terrified that maybe he too would leave her.

From inside the hangar there came the sound of gun shots, then a pause then more followed, then two final shots rang out and the night was still and silent again. She felt Rick loosen his grip on her, pain in his eyes; she pushed past him still sobbing and ran back to the hangar. Bodies were littered everywhere, but she ignored them all save for one, she stumbled to a stop above him and knelt crying over him, she reached out with shaking hands to touch his face, hoping that he was still alive, but he wasn't, her mentor, her captain, her friend was gone.

XOXOXO

She and Rick arrived back home after returning to the precinct to give a sanitised version of their statement to the cops investigating, no way were they going to let their captain go as anything but a hero. She leaned against Rick as he opened the door and led her in, slowly he took her over to the sofa and sat down hugging her and she finally allowed the fresh supply of tears to come streaming down her cheeks. She heard movement and looked over to see Alexis and Livie all standing there at the bottom of the stairs in their pyjamas, Livie was staring at her tears trickling down her cheeks, she slowly moved forward and crawled onto the sofa next to her mother and curled up against her wrapping her arms around her, holding her, supporting her as more tears came streaming down her mother's cheeks.

Kate hugged her daughter tightly still crying hard, she buried her head into Livie's shoulder hugging her, clutching at her, she was scared now, all around her people were dying, what if Livie was next, or Rick, or Alexis, or one of her friends, no. No one else was going to die. She could feel Livie trembling too and remembered what the captain had said, she was just like her and would hunt down whoever killed her leading to a circle of bloodshed, no she would never leave Livie, she wanted to be with her daughter throughout her life, her whole life, never missing a minute of it. When she had calmed down slightly she saw that Alexis was curled up against her dad, both of them had tears running down their cheeks too. She leaned against her husband feeling him stroke her shoulder gently, trying to comfort her, she hugged Livie too, and they all remained there, wrapped up in their grief.

XOXOXO

"Captain Montgomery once told me that for us there is no victory, there are only battles, and in the end the best you can hope for is to find a place to make your stand" she paused and looked over the sea of mournful faces looking up at her "and if you're lucky you'll find someone, willing to stand with you" she looked over into those clear blue eyes that she loved, "until the end" she finished softly, he gazed back at her and she knew that he would stand with her.

She continued to speak, slowly and carefully, struggling to hold herself together, she could see Martha sitting with Alexis and Livie, their faces sombre as they paid their respects to the man who had helped bring their two separate families together.

Suddenly she heard Rick scream out "Kate" and then there was a loud crack, then pain. She heard screams as she was knocked backwards off her feet by Rick and shouts of "Beckett's down, Beckett's down", she fell to the ground in his arms, then she heard a familiar scream, Livie screaming in terror, screaming to her, she could hear Ryan shouting at her to get down, she gazed at Rick as he cradled her "don't leave me Kate, come on stay with me" he whispered desperately "I love you, I love you Kate, stay with me" she couldn't speak, she just gazed at him frightened.

"Mom" she heard someone scream and then Livie was falling to the grass amongst the tomb stones beside her crying in fright "no mom please" she begged. Kate took a long breath struggling, the edges of her vision were going blurry "please mommy don't go" Livie was crying "you promised me it would always be us together, always and forever you said, don't break your promise, I didn't last year" she could see Rick crying as he pulled Livie towards him against his chest "I love you mom please" Livie begged, she tried to speak but she couldn't, she managed to raise a hand and it found Livie's who clutched it, crying, still sobbing for her not to leave her.

She couldn't leave her, she wouldn't leave her, but it was too hard to fight the blackness now that was pressing in on her, she gazed at the two of them as she succumbed to the darkness. Her last sight was of her precious daughter, crying her eyes out, begging for her to not leave her, telling her that she loved her, she was pressed against Rick's chest, her husband was still whispering that he loved her. Then she couldn't hold on any more and she closed her eyes and allowed darkness to take her, unwillingly leaving her loved ones.

XOXOXO

The crack of a gun echoed around the cemetery, Livie saw her mom's eyes widen and she let out a gasp as the bullet buried itself in her chest, then Rick had knocked her backwards off of her feet. Everyone instinctively ducked and then began to scream in panic but not as loudly as Livie did, she saw Esposito pushing Lanie down who was shouting out in horror to her best friend and shouting to everyone else, she screamed out again and began to stand to run to her mom, but Ryan grabbed hold of her pulling her back to the floor shouting out "Livie get down" whist shouting into his radio, as was Esposito that her mom was hit, she struggled desperately and Ryan hung on for as long as possible, trying to keep her out of harm's way worried that the shooter might still be out there before she yanked herself free, she staggered upright no longer worried about getting shot, all she wanted to do was get to her mom, she flung herself down next to her, she was lying in the grass, blood staining her white gloves, Rick was bending over her whispering to her, how much he loved her, her mom looked so confused, her eyelids kept fluttering as she struggled to keep them open as she struggled to breathe.

"mom" she screamed again, as she fell to the ground beside her, her mom gasped, eyelids fluttering, they were wider now sudden panic filling her "no mom please" Livie sobbed, she placed her hand over the bullet wound feeling hot blood soak her fingers "you promised it would always be us together, always and forever, don't break your promise I didn't last year" her mom managed to raise a hand to her and she caught it, sobbing.

Her mom couldn't leave her, she was her mom, and more, her best friend, always there for her, her mom had always told her that she would never leave her, and now everything in her family history was repeating, and the daughter was losing her mother. No her mother was not going to die, Rick had pulled her against his chest hugging her as she cried, he was gazing at her mom, pain in his eyes, but he still tried to comfort her, "I love you mom" she whispered still begging for her mom to speak to let them know that she was ok really and that she would pull through this.

But her mom's breath was coming in short sharp gasps and they were gradually getting weaker "please mom don't leave me" Livie begged, she felt Rick tighten his grip on her, as they watched her mom gaze at them desperately, then her eyes slowly closed.

Livie screamed, she screamed to her mom to wake up, she screamed to her to not leave her, she begged and begged, then she felt Rick stand and take her shoulder but she shrugged away from him angrily, still clutching her mom's now limp form, then he put his hands under her shoulders and pulled her up ignoring her struggles as Lanie fell to the ground beside her mother, her hands replacing Livie's as an ambulance appeared and her mom was lifted onto a stretcher and driven away with sirens screaming.

She continued to fight angrily, then it was like the reality of her situation just hit her and her legs buckled and she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, she collapsed, falling to the ground sobbing her heart out, she could see everyone watching her sympathetically, feeling her pain maybe but not understanding it, Rick crouched next to her "hey hey Liv" he said, she gazed at him through her tears, he pulled her into a hug and she clutched at him desperately needing his support, without him and his family she would now be all alone, "come on" he said and took her to his private car and ordered the driver to take them to the hospital as fast as possible. The whole drive there he held her as she cried, terrified of her mother leaving her.

XOXOXO

They came skidding into the hospital car park seconds after her mom's ambulance did and Livie scrambled out as she saw her being wheeled in, Lanie crouching on top of her, hands pressing over the wound, she had tears in her eyes and she was shouting at her best friend that she wasn't going to die, she wasn't going to leave her perfect daughter without a mom. Livie ran after the gurney past the reception desk ignoring the people calling her back, she could hear Rick behind her but she kept her eyes focused on the gurney, it went through some doors and once she had burst through them she saw Lanie standing there her hands stained in blood, as were hers watching her mom get wheeled away.

Lanie stared at the blood on her gloved hands before turning and spotting them, Rick looked down at Livie who was now staring at her hands stained in her mother's blood, a single tear splashed onto her red palms, leaving a small area of white, more tears fell, before Livie lowered her hands as though afraid of washing away her mother's blood, as if washing it away would be like washing all chances she had away. She looked so frail and vulnerable again, just like after what had happened almost 10 months ago, small and terrified, her black dress covered in blood and stains, tears sliding down her cheeks from red, puffy eyes. Lanie moved forward and pulled the young girl into a hug and held her as she sobbed, she looked at Rick who stared at her and saw the pain he felt reflected in her eyes, Lanie guided Livie over to some seats and sat down next to her still hugging her and they waited.

After what felt like hours they heard shouting and the sound of arguing, all three of them looked up as Ryan and Esposito came storming in still talking angrily into their phones, they each made a sharp last order before hanging up and spotting the three of them. "how is she" Esposito asked quietly, Lanie glanced at Livie who was staring at the floor, unmoving as though if she kept staring at the same spot for long enough, everything would be ok. "they just to her into surgery" Lanie said standing and moving towards Esposito "but…" she couldn't finish but she didn't need too, Esposito pulled her into a hug cradling her tightly, Rick felt the pain in his chest expand as he stared at the couple wishing that he could hold his other half in his arms now.

"what happened to the shooter" he asked, Ryan looked pissed "he was gone" he said quietly "gone" Rick exclaimed and he saw Livie's head snap up, suddenly full of fear and anger, he put one hand comfortingly on her shoulder "how can he be gone" Ryan gazed at him, his eyes full of sorrow "I don't know but he left his weapon behind" "it was Marko 11, a modified sniper rifle" Esposito said "favourite for special forces, we are checking for prints now".

At that moment there was a cry from behind of "dad" and then "oh Richard, oh Livie oh my god" they all turned to see Martha and Alexis come hurrying forward, Alexis hurled herself at her father and he hugged her and his mother tightly, still struggling to hold himself together, he was determined to remain strong, for Livie, Alexis released him and then ignoring the fact that she was covered in blood wrapped her arms around her little sister hugging her tightly, tears in her eyes.

Then from behind there came another familiar voice "where's Katie" they all looked up and Livie leapt up and ran towards her grandfather who hugged her tightly, anger and pain in his eyes, he looked up at them all "where's my daughter" he demanded, "what happened". Esposito sighed "sniper" he said quietly "at a funeral" Jim Beckett said in disbelief, "I tried to save her" Rick whispered, he looked at Livie who gazed at him still scared and frightened "but I wasn't fast enough, this is all my fault" "hey" Ryan said "this is not your fault" "yes it is" Rick said his voice getting louder "I am the one who pushed her into looking into her mother's murder, everything is my fault, I put her in the crosshairs" "no" Livie cried suddenly and everyone looked at her in surprise for this was the first time she had spoken in a long time, she stood there with her hands over her ears, plainly hating everyone blaming themselves "stop it" she cried again, she moved towards Rick and hugged him "Livs I am so so sorry" he whispered hugging her back "Livie is right" Jim said "everyone stop it, I don't want you all acting like this when my daughter is fighting for her life"

Everyone became subdued then, Rick sank onto a chair looking at Livie who just leaned against the wall, before sliding down it wearily, she still looked a state, covered in blood and crying an endless supply of tears. They waited for hours in the hall; nobody knew what to say to Livie, they wanted to comfort her but she wasn't a child, she knew the truth. At long last a tired looking doctor stepped out and called "Mr Beckett" Jim's head snapped up and he stood instantly "yes" he said, not daring to hope. "your daughter is out of surgery" the doctor said Livie's head snapped up "will she be alright" Jim asked "well during the surgery she experienced cardiac arrest" everyone shifted uncomfortably, Livie half rose from the floor, looking terrified, "we were able to get her heart beating again on its own but we will need to watch her very closely" Jim nodded and swallowed "may we see her" he asked looking at Livie. The doctor sighed and looked at him begging for him to understand "I don't think it would be wise, maybe tomorrow" he paused "I don't think it will be best for her" he nodded at Livie "to see her mom like this, she doesn't look good" Livie winced, everyone looked at her, she gripped Alexis' hand for support, but gazed round the doctor towards the door that he had exited. "I think it would be best if you all went home" he said "get some rest, you can see her in the morning if she is more stable", he turned then and went back through the door closing it behind him.

"I don't know about you" Esposito said "but home is the last place I am going, I am off to catch the son of a bitch who did this" he turned and left, Lanie and Ryan at his heels, Rick looked after them and then at Livie who was now standing staring through the door as though hoping to see her mom, as much as he wanted to go find the man who had caused the girl so much pain, he knew that right now, his job as her father was to help her whilst she was in this pain and if possible, ease her through it. He moved towards her "hey Liv" he said, she didn't respond, she just continued to stare through the window in the door, he touched her shoulder and she looked at him "come on" he said softly as everyone else moved away to give him some space to talk to her "you aren't going to do your mom any good by sitting out here, you know she wouldn't want that" Livie looked at him and he saw the same anger and determination that was always in her mom's eyes, but slowly it was replaced by realisation, that he was right "we will be back here the moment we hear anything" he promised, and she nodded before allowing him to lead her out and into the car.

XOXOXO

When they arrived at the loft, she still wasn't speaking and she slowly headed up the stairs and they heard the sound of her bedroom door open then close, Alexis glanced at them and then she headed up after her and they heard her knock on Livie's door before tentatively entering, Rick sighed and then went up to exhausted and worried to do anything, but his weariness didn't stop him checking all the locks and shutting all the curtains tight, when he poked his head round the door to Livie's room she was lying next to Alexis gripping her hand tightly, both of them staring into the distance, as he entered though they both looked at him, he gave them a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes before shutting the curtains and moving forward he gave them both a hug, but as he made to leave Livie grabbed him and looked at him pleadingly, still not talking, he nodded and then sat on the bed next to her, shifting into a comfortable position, then he took her other hand and that was how the three of them eventually fell asleep, together, supporting one another.

XOXOXO

Rick woke up the next morning lying in Livie's bed which confused him till he remembered what had happened, then the pain came crashing back down on him suffocating him, he fought again determined to hold himself together, he looked over and saw Alexis curled up sleeping, but no Livie, she had barely slept that night just lying there, he had seen her silent tears and heard her stifled sobs and after a while she had started tossing and turning, showing how little sleep she eventually got. He looked up and saw that the door was open so slowly he exited the bedroom and checked all the rooms before heading downstairs where he found Livie curled up on the sofa staring into space, hugging one of her mom's jumpers to her face, breathing in the scent. She didn't move when she heard him enter though her eyes flicked briefly over to check that he wasn't a threat before they returned to the ceiling.

He watched her for a minute trying to figure out what to say, but what could you say to a teenager who knew the truth herself, and would it do any difference when you felt the same as she did. He busied himself with breakfast, trying to keep his mind busy and to not think of the sight of his wife lying in the grass, closing her eyes as the life was drained out of her. Alexis came down after a few minutes and silently began to help him, seeming to want human comfort Livie moved over and sat watching them, still not talking, she looked like she was in shock. Once breakfast was done Rick gently placed a plate in front of her and she looked at it blankly before looking up at him "come on Livs" he said "you have to eat", she lowered her gaze again but to his relief picked up her fork and began to slowly pick her way through her breakfast, slowly nibbling at it before realising how hungry she was and eating slightly faster, she hadn't eaten since before the funeral and had refused any food they had offered her at the hospital, they all ate delicately not talking, he couldn't remember the last time he had had such a quiet meal.

When she was done Livie got down and placed her plate in the dishwasher before moving upstairs to get dressed, she was followed by Alexis and once they were gone he pulled out his phone and called the precinct "Ryan" the agent responded. He sounded exhausted "hey it's me" Rick said quietly "have you found anything"

Ryan sighed "no, we worked through the night but we have nothing, have you heard anything from the hospital, how's Livie doing" he asked

Rich sighed then "haven't heard anything, going to call up soon though, Livie… well I don't know, she hasn't spoken, she just sits there in shock, I don't know what to do, I had to encourage her to eat this morning"

Ryan groaned "I feel so sorry for her, after everything she has been through she doesn't deserve this"

"I know" Rock said, he glanced up when he heard footfalls on the stairs and saw Livie descending dressed in jeans and a simple T-shirt with a button down blouse thrown over the top left open, it felt good to see her in her usual style of dress, a small attempt made by her to make everything normal again. "ok I gotta go buddy, call me with an update" "likewise" Ryan said before he hung up

He had barely placed the phone on the cradle before it was ringing again "hello" he said listening "yes" he said rising half out of his seat, Livie looked up from where she had settled on the bottom step "yes" he said again "ok, yep, we will be right there" he hung up and looked at Livie "come on" he said quietly, he called Alexis and then the three of them left and headed to the hospital.

XOXOXO

When they arrived Rick went to the reception and asked after Katherine Castle, the nurse called up and a few minutes later the doctor from last night appeared and lead them up the stairs talking quietly to Rick, Livie felt panicky as she followed and slipped her hand into Alexis' and smiled weakly as she felt her squeeze her hand back. They stopped at a door to a room and the doctor left them, Rick looked over his shoulder at the two girls and then held out his hand, Alexis released Livie and stepped behind them, Livie chewed her lip and stepped forward to take his hand, he squeezed it and then led her into the room.

Livie closed her eyes worried about what she would see when she opened them, she felt Rick squeeze her hand again and she slowly allowed them to flutter open, she stared at the bed and as she did so, some of the pain in her chest intensified slightly before disappearing, she felt tears in her eyes and then the tiniest smile of relief slip onto her face as she stared at her mom, who was sitting up in the hospital bed gazing at her in relief, she looked exhausted but she was alive, there were bags under her eyes which were full of pain, for the first time she looked vulnerable and scared, her hair was tied in a loose messy braid from which it was escaping.

Livie let out a small sob and took a small step forward, her mom smiled exhaustedly, delight at seeing her in her eyes though "oh Livie" she sighed in relief, Livie stumbled blindly forward unable to see through her tears and fell forward, reaching out until she felt her mom's hand which pulled her into a hug, her mom was whispering her name over and over again running her fingers through her hair. Livie clung to her as her mom clung to her, burying her head carefully into her shoulder crying her eyes out again, she hugged her carefully, but firmly never wanting to let her go again. She felt her mom pull away and she did the same to gaze at her. Her mom cupped her face in her hands "hey what's wrong kiddo" she asked "having too much fun without me" Livie just sobbed again, tears still leaking out of her eyes, her mom used her thumb to brush them aside "hey" she said firmly "I am ok, kiddo I promise, I am not going anywhere" she smiled at her daughter "I kept my promise, always and forever honey" Livie managed another smile and then leaned forward hugging her tightly, sitting on the edge of the bed to curl up at her side.

Kate looked up at Rick to see that he had tears in his eyes, she gave him an exhausted smile as she cradled her daughter against her chest, she ignored the pain, originating from her heart where the bullet had entered, he moved forward to her other side and leaned down, she released her daughter with one arm to hug him, clinging to him slightly as he hugged her tightly, "oh Kate" he whispered pressing his lips to her brow "I so thought I had lost you, don't you ever do that to us again" she smiled and kissed him back "will try not to" she whispered. He smiled and then stepped back, and Alexis stepped forward relief written all over her face "hey Lex" Kate whispered reaching up to hug the teenager, who bent to hug her back, she felt tears land on her shoulder "hey now, everyone stop crying" she said looking around "I am fine I swear, you all need to stop worrying" she got mock glares back from all three of them and smiled, Rick pulled out his phone "well I promised to call if there was any news" he said and backed out into the hall to make the call.

When he came back Alexis was sitting in the chair next to Kate and Livie had transferred herself to another chair but had pulled it tight against her mom's bed and was resting her head on the edge of the bed and her mom had one hand resting on her back, she was dozing exhausted. Kate smiled exhaustedly as he entered again and he found himself another chair and pulled it next to his daughter's. "Well Lanie will be here in a matter of seconds" he joked "and the boys are coming down with her" Kate grinned "how do you feel" he asked, she gave a small chuckle "like I was shot" she said, and he smiled before looking at her sombrely "seriously Kate don't you ever do that again, god I have never been so worried, more for Livie than anything else"

Kate frowned at him "why what happened with her" she asked "was she ok", he looked at her gravely "do you remember what happened" "parts of it" she whispered "do you remember Livie with you" Kate closed her eyes and saw parts flashing before her; _Rick bending over her, whispering, Livie falling down screaming in terror to her, crying her eyes out, begging desperately, then fresh pain, then nothing" _she nodded "well" he said glancing at Alexis "times that by 10 and you are still not nearly close to how bad she was, she was screaming to you, begging, fighting us, then it was like her voice got switched off, she just collapsed sobbing silently and she has barely spoken another word since then, she was inconsolable, she was so lost, we didn't know what to do, we stayed with her last night but she barely slept and I have to say I had to encourage her to eat this morning, I don't know what I would have done if…" he hesitated "if things had happened differently"

He saw the pain in Kate's eyes and wondered if he had made the right choice to tell her, yes he wanted her to know, just so she was aware of what had happened, and maybe to stop her being so reckless in the field though he doubted she would stop. She smiled softly at him "thank you for taking care of her" she whispered "always" he said with a smile, and she smiled back knowing that he meant it, just as she had known that he would always be willing to stand with her, until the end…

**Hope you liked it**

**If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask **

**Please review – I would love to know what you think **

**Also if you have any suggestions for this or another story I would love to hear them**

**Thanks Mysticgirl**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone, thanks to all those who reviewed all much appreciated. Here is chapter 2, where we welcome Team Bones :D**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 2

Castle looked at his wife curled up on the sofa staring at the TV, it had been three months since she had been shot, two months since she had come back home and one month since she had gone back to work, though what she could do was strictly limited, all that time had passed and he still hadn't got her completely back, she hid it well, covering everything up and putting on a good show, but he could tell something wasn't right.

He looked up as the door opened and Livie came in tugging her key out of the lock, a smile on her face, her hair was dishevelled letting him know that she had just come back from the yard where the horse he had bought her 6 months ago for her birthday lived, she loved the horse, a pretty dappled grey mare called Skye, he was glad she had Skye, the small distraction helped her mom hide her pain from her daughter. The 14 year old grinned at him before tumbling down onto the sofa next to her mom who grinned and hugged her before wrinkling her nose "smelly" she teased and Livie scowled at her, before leaping up and darting up the stairs to shower, they heard her shout out a greeting to Alexis before the door banged and the silence that filled the downstairs was resumed.

Slowly Rick moved over and sat down next to Kate pulling her into his arms, she sighed and curled up against him, he kissed the top of her head before gazing at her "we need to talk" he said seriously, she looked up at him confused "you haven't recovered" he said, he pressed a finger to her lips as she started to protest "don't deny it, you aren't fooling anyone, even Livie can tell though she pretends for you that she can't, you need more time Kate, so I talked to Gates" she scowled at him "Rick I am fine" she said "yeah I know I am more jumpy but wouldn't you be if you knew what it felt like to have life drained out of you, knowing it could happen again at any moment without you even realising it", he looked at her softly "I know how you feel" he said softly "because as I watched you die on the ground, I felt my life getting drained away too Kate, you are my life, you and the girls" she gave him a small smile as she ducked her head.

"I got you time off" he said, "I have a thing in DC that I have to go to, it is like a ball for celebrities and people of importance, you and the girls are coming with me, we can go to the ball and then just wonder round DC for a few days, you need to get out of this city for a bit Kate, you are drowning in it, and maybe afterwards we could take the girls to the Hamptons, Gates agrees that you should take some time, she isn't comfortable letting you go out in the field whilst you are so jumpy"

Kate looked at her husband thinking, she was feeling different, and maybe some time away from this city would help. She hesitated though, but then she nodded "alright if you think it would help then time in DC sounds good" she said and he smiled before pulling her into his arms again, "well we leave the day after tomorrow" she raised her eyebrows at him "that is sudden" she commented "do the girls know", he smiled "Alexis does, but Livie was out so I don't think she does" Kate smiled "well you might want to tell her" she said softly, he nodded "come on, let's go upstairs" he said, she nodded and pulled herself up, following him up the stairs.

Livie was delighted at the idea of a family vacation, especially now, whilst her mom was so different, school was finishing next week anyway so she wouldn't be missing much, Rick felt almost relieved when he lay down that night, with Kate in his arms. She was struggling, everyone knew that, but she was still as tough and as independent as she was when he had first met her, determined to face these challenges on her own, he just wanted to show her that she wasn't alone, they were all there for her.

XOXOXO

Kate smiled as Livie rushed out of the airport looking around excitedly, she had always wanted to go to DC and she was delighted that she had finally made it, Rick smiled at her exuberance too "where shall we go first" he asked wrapping one arm around Kate who smiled "hotel" she suggested "or do you want to lug our bags round this city because I'm not" "ah always the voice of reason" he said with a twinkle in his eye

Once they had called a cab, and given him directions they settled back and Kate saw Livie peering out the window, her eyes wide, "what is that place" she asked as they drove past the Navy yard with its huge war ships all docked, she was pointing at a secure looking building just a short was away from the docks. "NCIS" Kate said everyone looked at her "Naval Criminal Investigative Service" she explained "kind of like navy cops if you like, they look into crimes involving navy officers, they are based in a few states, I think that that one is the biggest though" "how do you know so much about them" Alexis asked curiously, Kate shrugged "I am a cop" she said "we know a lot about other agencies" Livie looked at the huge building, it looked secure and in a way safe.

They arrived at their hotel and checked in, their bags were taken for them by some bell boys and they were taken up to the 10th floor, here they were guided to two rooms at the end of the hall, the first one that was unlocked was Livie's and Alexis', they both rushed in eagerly laughing in amazement at their room. Once the other door was opened Rick tipped the two bell boys and then dragged their cases inside, once they were in he flung himself down onto the huge bed and flipped the TV on happily, then he glanced over at Kate who was staring around her in amazement.

"well what do you think" he asked, Kate looked around the room "and your publishers pay for all of this" she asked looking around their 5 star hotel suite "I think that it is very nice but a bit fancy" he grinned "ah well" he said "the girls settling in" she nodded "Livie is stunned by it all" she said, "ah Alexis was the first time too" he said with a smile, he jumped off the bed "so ready for tonight" she rolled her eyes "no, remind me what I have to do again" Rick moved over to her "just stand on my arm and look gorgeous as always" she rolled her eyes again but kissed him softly.

They were interrupted at that moment by a banging on the door "hey open up dad" came Alexis' voice "you said we would take Livie and Kate sight-seeing, no point coming all this way if you aren't going to look around" Rick groaned "we don't have to do it all on the first day" he shouted back, "those girls have terrible timing" he mumbled "I heard that" Alexis called "come on Kate get him out of there" Kate laughed "well I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of DC" she said smiling "I am surprised that isn't Livie pounding at the door, she has been positively bursting with excitement since we told her"

"I am here too" came Livie's voice through the door, and they both burst out laughing "knew it" Kate giggled, Rick smiled and kissed her softly, there was more pounding "ok alright you win, we are coming" Rick called, he moved over and grabbed his jacket whilst Kate grabbed her coat, they opened the door to find both of their daughters standing outside, Livie grinned and the four of them moved off out into DC.

XOXOXO

Livie fell in love with the city, she couldn't stop staring around her in awe, grinning as they walked around for a bit just taking this small part of the huge city in, they were planning to go look properly round another day when they were not so pressed for time as they had the Writers banquet that evening.

Once they had walked round and Livie was full of new enthusiasm about their grand tour the next day they headed back to their hotel to get ready for the party that evening. Rick disappeared off with the organiser to get a few things sorted out before the evening, leaving his girls to get ready in peace, once she had showered Kate stepped out into the large bathroom and sighed as she looked around, the bathroom was huge, bigger than theirs back in the loft which she had always thought was huge, then she spotted a long dress bag hanging on the back of the door with a note from her caring husband attached.

_My beautiful wife_

_Don't be mad at me, but I saw this and immediately saw you in it, try it on, see what you think, I hope you like it._

_Can't wait to see you in it_

_Your loving husband_

Kate smiled and shook her head, then she carefully began to dry her hair, tightening her curls, carefully fixing them into place, before she carefully applied her makeup, then she looked at the bag and grabbed it before moving towards the door, she darted across the hall and knocked on the door to the room opposite, it opened after a second to reveal Livie hair still slightly wet from the shower, she grinned when she saw her mom, "I like your hair" she commented stepping back to allow her mom in "thanks kiddo" Kate said as she stepped inside and Livie closed the door "where's Alexis" "shower" Livie said moving back to the dressing table and picking up the hair dryer. Kate smiled and laid the dress on the bed before moving over to her daughter and taking the dryer from her, Livie grinned and closed her eyes as her mom gently began to run her fingers through her hair, gently drying it for her.

Kate stood there behind her daughter allowing the warm air to warm her fingertips as she blow-dried Livie's hair, she felt herself relax as the two of them stayed there together. Alexis came out just then her hair soaked, Kate grinned "want me to do yours" she offered, Alexis smiled and nodded, she sat herself in another chair opposite Livie and began to apply her basic makeup for her, whilst her hair was dried, then Livie did the same for her as Kate curled her daughters hair, the three of them got ready together, once their hair and makeup was finished the two girls went and retrieved their dresses. "Did Rick pick those up for you too" Kate asked eyeing the bags, both of them nodded, eager to see theirs.

Alexis went first and the dress was perfect for her, it was the same silvery blue as her eyes, and went down to her knees, it was encrusted with grey stones at her waist and had one shoulder which twisted round covering her back, she wore small silver heels with a diamond necklace around her neck and matching earrings, with a simple diamond bracelet around her wrist. "Whoa Alexis you look awesome" Livie gasped in delight, she did indeed, with her long red hair wrapped up showing off her pale porcelain skin. Alexis grinned "your turn little sis" she said, grabbing Livie's dress and handing it to her.

Kate smiled as Live slipped into the dress, it was tea length, just below her knees with a loose flowing skirt, and it was made of soft chiffon material and had a gentle sweetheart neckline and a low back, just below her shoulder blades with spaghetti straps. The colour was a beautiful hunter green that went well with her eyes, hair and skin tone. They decided to leave her hair down, it made her seem innocent and though none of them wanted to admit it, it helped hide the marks on the back of her neck, not something Livie really wanted everyone to see, the worst of the marks had disappeared but there were still a few, white on her skin. She, just like Alexis looked amazing.

Both girls then turned to Kate and grinned "my turn" she guessed, both of them nodded and she smiled as she unzipped the bag, she felt her jaw drop as she saw the beautiful dress, "wow" Livie breathed as she peered over her mom's shoulder to see "that is amazing" "my dad really knows what we look good in" Alexis commented, Livie tugged on the sleeve of her mother's robe "put it on" she urged.

Slowly Kate slipped into the dress and Alexis and Livie helped her fasten it and handed her the jewellery before they stepped away to look at it "wow" they both said at the same time, slowly Kate slipped into the delicate sandals before she turned to look in the floor length mirror, she stared stunned. She didn't look like Detective Kate Beckett, she looked like Katherine Castle, wife of Richard Castle, ready to go out and allow the press to get her photos and to be honest in this dress, she wouldn't mind those photos.

It was floor length, and made of a soft silky material that clung to her slender frame it was a deep blue green, teal she realised. It had a roached bodice and beaded straps but apart from that it was plain, simple yet effective, she turned to look at her back, it was low just above her hips, but it had straps filling up that empty space, it was the most amazing dress she had ever seen. The jewellery was exquisite too, silver and green diamonds, shaped like flowers on her wrist, neck and ears, and on her finger to match it perfectly was her silver wedding ring and engagement ring. She smiled, Alexis was right; Rick did know what they looked good in.

Kate stared at her reflection, her hand came up to where her heart was; where the scar from the bullet was, the dress hid it well, but she knew that under the layer of soft silky material was a reminder of who she really was; Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD, shot through the heart, struggling to recover. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, to her relief Kate Beckett disappeared, and Kate Castle reappeared.

At that moment there was a knock on the door and they heard Rick himself call "well I went back to my room only to find it void of my beautiful wife so I am hoping that there is a beautiful wife and two stunning daughters in there for me" both Alexis and Livie giggled and Livie bounced over to the door and opened it, Rick grinned "found one stunning daughter" he said grinning at her, he looked up and spotted Alexis , he smiled fondly at her "two down one to…" he trailed off when he saw Kate "whoa" he said "scratch beautiful wife, check to exquisite wife" Kate rolled her eyes at him, "thanks for the dresses" she said with a smile "are you going to have to write till you are 50 just to pay off the bill for them" he grinned at her "nah not 50, more like 70, just kidding" he said hastily when he saw her face "they were not that bad believe me" she rolled her eyes at him again

Rick grinned "shall we" he asked offering Kate his arm, smiling she took it "yes let's get this show on the road"

XOXOXO

The ball was incredible, it was filled with not just writers but other rich and famous people or people of high importance, as the four of them descended the grand staircase into the huge ballroom, they were greeted by photographers eagerly snapping photos of Richard Castle out for the first time in public with his new wife, once they had managed to get past them, Kate felt herself relax as she looked around, she still felt slightly uncomfortable, this was not her scene but she felt Rick squeeze her arm comfortingly. Looking over she saw Livie with Alexis who was used to these sorts of parties, she knew her own daughter was as nervous and as uncomfortable as she was but she like her mom was determined to see it through and as long as she stuck with Alexis, she would be fine.

As she looked around, she saw a few people that she recognised, a few of Rick's writer buddies were there and they grinned when they spotted her and Rick, eagerly Rick headed over to see them, she followed, she was surprised to see that there were quite a few children here, well they were more teenagers than children, judging from the ones she could see though, Livie at aged 14 was the youngest, she felt Rick squeeze her arm again and he began to make introductions to some more writers that came over to greet him, and soon as they began to laugh she relaxed even more.

After he had chatted with his friends Rick steered her towards the dance floor "care to dance Mrs Castle" he murmured in her ear, she laughed "why not" she said, she leaned against him and closed her eyes as she began to move in time to the music and soon she was lost in the gentle rhythm and the security of her husband's arms.

XOXOXO

Livie smiled as she and Alexis watched their parents waltz amongst the other dancers content in each other's arms, "do you know anybody here" she asked Alexis who shook her head "no, well I know a few writers and a few people by name but not personally, this is the first year I have had company, usually these things are quite boring, though dad's writer friends come and joke with me when they see me getting lonely" Livie smiled and looked around trying to see how many people she knew, there weren't many, as she looked round her eyes fell on a girl leaning against a pillar watching the dancers, she was wearing a dark blue dress that clung to her body and came to her knees, it had one shoulder and was covered in silver beads, her auburn hair was wrapped up on the back of her head, but it was artistically already escaping and falling down the back of her neck.

Just as Livie was about to look away the other girl's eyes flicked over and landed on her, the two of them studied each other with an air of uncertainty and cautiousness, the girl smiled and tentatively Livie smiled back, then the mysterious girl looked back at the dance floor as a man came towards her, she grinned at him, from what Livie could see, he too felt that he didn't belong here, a woman moved towards them too and she looked vaguely familiar to Livie, the girl grinned at the woman who could only be her mom, then the three of them vanished into the crowd.

After that Rick's writer buddies did come over, she had already met most of them before at Rick's poker nights, but she still felt slightly shy around them, as Alexis had said they began to joke around with them, calling them the little castles. Livie decided to go get a drink and after checking what Alexis wanted she headed towards the bar, as she waited for the two sodas she looked around, her mom and Rick were still on the dance floor and her mom was smiling, the light that had been vacant from her eyes for a long time now was glimmering slightly, Livie smiled, pleased to see its return.

"this your first time at one of these parties" Livie jumped as someone spoke, she looked over, she hadn't noticed the girl she had seen earlier sitting on a bar stool, she was watching her curiously, but her eyes were gentle, Livie nodded "yeah, this is my first" the girl smiled "don't worry you get used to them, you look like you fit in though" "thanks" Livie said with a small smile "I take it this isn't your first" the girl smiled as she shook her head "nah, I come to a lot of these, ones for writers with my mom, FBI ones with my dad, more with the Jeffersonion", Livie frowned "wow" she commented "sounds like you know are good at this sort of thing then" she shrugged " I wouldn't say that" she said "you get used to them after a while, but this isn't really me, or either of my parents, I don't think either of them want to be here and that kind of comes across to me but my mom was meant to come so we came", she then grinned "sorry, forgot to introduce myself, I am April, April Booth"

Livie grinned back and shook her hand that she offered "Olivia Beckett, but I like to be called Livie" "ok then Livie" April said with a smile "want to sit" she offered gesturing to the stool beside her, Livie glanced over at Alexis who was deep in conversation with a writer, then she nodded and leapt onto the stool "do you like DC" April asked "I can tell you are not from here, my guess would be a big city" Livie nodded "New York" "ah the city of dreams" April said "I like it there, we go there from time to time" "DC seems cool" Livie said "though I haven't seen that much of it, tomorrow we are going out if my mom and Rick haven't drunk to much of the free alcohol" April laughed "Rick" she questioned "Not your dad" Livie shook her head "step dad, but he is the only father figure I have ever had so he is in my opinion my father" April smiled "that your mom over there with … oh Rick is Richard Castle ah" she asked, Livie nodded "so that girl you were with earlier is that your sister" April asked, again Livie nodded "well step sister again she is Rick's daughter but to Alexis and I the fact that we are not blood related is just a mere technicality" April smiled again "so what is Richard Castle like" she asked, Livie grinned "well half the time we struggle to tell who is the child in our family, me or him, he messes around a lot and is a lot of fun but when you need him, he is always there for you, and I have never seen my mom so happy with him, even though he annoyed the hell out of her for years"

"sounds like my family" April mused "my parents were partners, they started dating in secret until my mom got pregnant with me, then they came clean, they never got married and they love each other a lot, my mom thinks marriage is an insignificant service" she grinned "she is kind of weird like that" Livie smiled "I guess the love is the main thing" she said, April nodded "doesn't bother me" she said. They watched the dancers for a bit "do you have any siblings" Livie asked, April's smile widened "my parents adopted a foster child in the summer after a um incident, she is only four but a spitting image of my mom, I guess that is one of the reasons why we fell in love with her, that and she is so dammed adorable" Livie smiled "she sounds it" she said "yeah she is called Libby, she hates that she is too little to come to all these dances and stuff, she has to stay with Angela which she doesn't mind so much"

"so why do you have to go to so many balls and dances" Livie asked "well my mom is Temperance Brennan" she grinned as Livie's eyes widened "yeah I get that a lot" "don't tell Rick" Livie said seriously "I think he likes her books a lot" April grinned "yeah so we go to the writers dinners and things for her, she also works at the Jeffersonion Institute they throw a few parties, not my mom's thing but hey the rest of her team go which makes it a bit more bearable especially when they start spouting science drabble, she is a Forensic Anthropologist" she added, Livie nodded "interesting line of work" she commented, April grinned "yeah and I help out there now that I am 15 technically I am still too young but I know so much that I can be my mom's intern, my dad works for the FBI and they like their fancy evenings a lot, I don't go to them all, sometimes I babysit Libby"

Livie nodded "sounds like a very interesting life" she said "oh you have no idea" April said softly, then she looked up "what about you" she asked, Livie shrugged "not much to tell, Rick is a writer as you know and my mom is a homicide detective for the NYPD, that is how she met Rick when someone started killing people the same way he did in his books, then she became his muse for his Nikki Heat books and he started following her and her team around, her team is cool, but she didn't tell them about me until last year after a um incident, that was when she and Rick began to get close, Alexis and I began to push them together and it worked, Rick is perfect for my mom, he makes her so happy, though he does spoil us a bit, he bought me my favourite horse for my birthday, though I like to share her with Alexis and my mom likes to help out too" April smiled "so both of our parents are homicide detectives" she mused "and the other is a writer, huge coincidence" Livie laughed.

April smiled and reached for her drink, as she did so the light from the bar reflected on her arm, and in places her skin shone white in long lines, they were long scars. Livie blinked when she saw them, as she looked she saw more marks up her shoulder and on her back, marks that could only have come from some sort of beating, April caught her looking "not party chit chat" she said softly "a definitely interesting part of my past but not a nice part, but it is impossible to forget as they are impossible to hide" she said , she looked at Livie who gave her a small smile, then she slowly turned her body and tilted her head, brushing her hair to one side to show April the burns that marked her neck, when she looked back, April looked shocked "I know how you feel" Livie said softly and the two of them smiled at each other.

"hey Livs" came a voice, they both looked over to see Alexis "oops" Livie said "sorry Lex I got your drink, I was just talking" "ah don't worry" the older girl said hopping onto another bar stall and swiping her drink "just got a bit worried you had gotten lost" she smiled at her little sister, then she looked at April, Livie quickly made the introductions and they both greeted each other warmly, "well if you are ok, I might go back to the writers" Livie said "James Patterson is actually a real laugh", both the other girls laughed as she bounced back to the authors who greeted her warmly.

April and Livie both looked around the room before April asked "so how long you in DC for" she asked, Livie shrugged "well Rick said we would stay out for a bit but as the holidays are coming up we might go to his house in the Hamptons for a bit, I think he just wants to keep my mom out of the city for a bit, she is having a real tough time at the moment, I am hoping we will be here for a while because I have always wanted to come to DC and I can't wait to look around" April grinned "well I am sure you are going to love it" she said.

They chatted for a bit longer until everyone was asked to move into the other room for the dinner, at that moment April's father appeared "hey Aps" he said "ready for food" she nodded "I am starving" she said, her father smiled at her and then looked at Livie, "Dad, this is Livie Beckett, she is from New York, with Rickard Castle, Livie this is my dad Seeley Booth" "hi" Booth said holding out his hand, shyly Livie shook it "Rick Castle your father" he asked, she shook her head "step father" he nodded, and Livie saw that April had his warm soft brown eyes "well nice to meet you Livie" April said leaping off her stool "maybe see you after dinner" Livie nodded "nice to meet you too" she said as she too slid off her stool, April winked at her and then walked off with her dad towards the door which everyone was filling through, Livie watched her go interested, there was something about April, something similar to herself, she had a feeling that they had more in common than the fact that both of their parents were writers and homicide detectives, she had a feeling that they had a similar haunting past, one that they could not forget, one that they struggled to move on from.

XOXOXO

When dinner was announced everyone made a mad dash for the door, not that it made a difference, they all had set seats anyway, Kate looked around and spotted Alexis coming over with a grin on her face, but no Livie at her side, frowning she scanned the room and spotted her daughter standing by the bar next to a girl maybe a few years older than her, behind her stood a man Kate took to be the other girl's father, Livie and the girl were talking, then the girl winked and walked off with her dad towards the door, Livie watched her go before she looked around and spotted her mom, she moved over to her with a smile on her face "hey" she greeted "have fun dancing", Kate pulled a face at her daughter and nodded "who was that" she asked gently nodding to the other girl's retreating back, Livie smiled "her name is April, April Booth, she lives here in DC and turns out we have quite a lot in common" "oh yeah" Kate asked as the four of them moved towards the door "yeah, her mom is an author and her dad is a homicide agent with the FBI" Kate raised her eyebrows "wow" she said "yeah and I think she is like me because of her past" Kate looked at her "what do you mean" she asked.

Livie looked at her solemnly, then she touched one of her burns "she has scars all over her back and arms, she said they were marks from her past, a part of her past that she wants to forget, but the scars prevent her from doing so easily, just like me" she gave a small smile and shrugged "just a theory" Kate gave her a small smile back and felt Rick rub her arm comfortingly, the marks did make it more difficult to move on, they were branded onto you and every time you tried to forget, there they were, a constant reminder of your pain.

XOXOXO

The rest of the evening passed quite quickly, after the food speeches were made and everyone had a laugh, group photos were taken, and then it was time to go, Livie yawned as they headed towards the door "tired kiddo" Rick asked "bit" she said "my feet definitely are though, I don't think I have ever walked around in heels for so long, well not heels this big" Rick laughed.

At that moment they heard a voice calling "hey Livie wait up" all four of them turned to see the girl, April wending her way through the crowd, she grinned "hi" she said Kate smiled at her studying her, she had a defensive air to her and she seemed very confident, she held her head high proud and defiant, though her eyes gleamed cheekily, she handed a piece of paper to Livie "next time you are at a convention call me" she said "or if you want a guide or need anything whilst you are here" Livie smiled and grabbed a pen from the table next to them and tore a bit off of the bottom of the paper and scribbled down her own number "likewise, if you are ever back in New York" she said with a grin, April smiled "see you round then" she said and she glanced over her shoulder, as she did so the light hit her scars and Kate saw them, she saw what Livie meant, the girl had been through a trauma, but somehow she had managed to recover or set up walls around herself to prevent anyone seeing how vulnerable she was, she really was a strong girl.

"well enjoy DC" April said "talk to you soon" then she was gone, swallowed up by the crowd, Livie grinned happily as they scrambled back into their car, but the moment they stopped moving all her energy disappeared, she sighed and rested her head back against the leather head rest and closed her eyes "hey" Kate said shaking her gently "don't go to sleep" "too late" she mumbled yawning, smiling Kate shook her head.

When they arrived back at their hotel she and Alexis had a bit of a battle pulling both Livie and Rick out of the car, both of them seemed shattered "god Rick, thought you were a man" Kate growled as she tugged him out, he grinned at her "small talk is exhausting" he said "and dancing", she looked at him "try dancing in heels" she said "ah ok you win" he said, the four of them made their way up to their room and Kate followed the girls into theirs, she helped them out of their dresses and they all helped them pull their hair out and run a brush through it, then Kate kissed both girls goodnight and they both clambered into their beds.

Kate smiled at them as she slipped across the hall and knocked on their door, Rick let her in with a smile, then once he had shut the door he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck, she smiled "help me out of this would you" she murmured, she didn't have to ask twice, once she had stepped out of the slinky soft material and had carefully placed it over a chair she turned to rest her head against his shoulder.

"so" he murmured wrapping his arms around her "what did you think of your first big dance" she smiled "not bad" she said "it could take some getting used to though" she felt him chuckle "you looked like you fit right in Kate, you were easily the most beautiful woman in the room" she smiled "you are biased" she mumbled, slowly they fell onto the bed still hugging, "that girl, April" Kate said "have you ever seen her at any of these things before" "I don't know" he said "I might of done, because she looked rather familiar but I can't be certain" he was silent for a minute before he added "I think I might have remembered her after seeing her scars" Kate thought of them "they were only noticeable under the light" she said, he kissed her hair "you think she is like Livie don't you" Kate nodded "at first I didn't believe Livie when she said that they were alike but they are, I swear it" he rubbed her shoulder "let's get some sleep" he said softly "I am sure the Livie will want to be up and out of here and wondering round DC early" Kate smiled "I am sure she will be" she said.

And so they all slept, though Kate's dreams were filled with memories, memories that made her toss in her sleep, memories of Livie's face staring at her begging for help crying in pain, then suddenly it was no longer Livie, but April sobbing as a stick beat her, then a new image flashed before her, Livie and April staring at something behind her, their eyes wide with fear, and next to them was a smaller shadowed figure, but Kate could tell that it was another girl, she heard triumphant shouts, and she turned as there was a loud crack and the sound of Livie screaming filled her ears.

Kate bolted upright gasping, she was drenched in sweat and her heart was pounding, she slowly placed her hand over her bullet wound wincing, she waited till she had calmed down before she lay back in Rick's arms, but she couldn't shake the image of Livie and April and a third girl crouched together, she had a feeling it meant something, and she didn't think she would like it.

**Hi hope you liked it **

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**Mysticgirl101**

**P.S – Thanks to the real Livie for all your help in writing this **


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi thanks for all the reviews, would love some more hope you enjoy this one where we welcome team NCIS :D**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 3

Kate jolted awake the next morning when she felt someone shaking her, she blinked groggily "Livs" she mumbled, her daughter nodded, already dressed she sat herself on the edge of the bed smiling at her mother, she rolled over to see Alexis shaking her father who was grunting and swatting playfully at her making her giggle "have you two ever heard of lying in" Rick mumbled "yeah of course we are teenagers but lying in till gone 10 is new for both of you, so we wanted to check that nothing was wrong" Alexis said, both of their parents sat up "gone 10" Kate gasped, she looked at the clock "wow, we were tired" Rick yawned and lay back down again "how did you get in" Kate asked confused, Alexis grinned and held up a key "force of habit" she said "dad has locked himself out of his room so many times that I always have the spare" Kate laughed, then she shoved her husband "up" she said as she swung herself out of the bed.

She smiled at Rick as both of their daughters yanked him out of bed before disappearing off to their room. Once Kate had dressed she went into the bathroom and pulled the brush through her long hair, she smiled as she saw Rick pulling on a shirt, his hair all askew, he saw her looking and winked making her grin, then she walked out of the bathroom she tossed him a brush "do something with your hair Rick, people might think you only just got up", she smiled as she left to find their daughters listening to him growl after her.

XOXOXO

Their day out was lovely at first, they went everywhere that you could in DC and they all loved every minute of it, they were walking around the reflecting pool, Livie and Alexis laughing loudly as they moved on eagerly ahead, Kate and Rick walked behind them at a leisurely pace, autumn was coming but for now the weather was warm, and it was a beautiful day "so what was your dream about last night" Rick asked, Kate looked at him in surprise "what" she asked "you had a nightmare in the night, you were tossing and then you bolted awake, you were breathing very hard and shaking" Kate lowered her head "oh it was nothing really" she said "just a bad dream" "hey, come on talk to me, you were terrified Kate" she sighed "I don't really remember it, but it was just the fact that it was so real that scared me, it started off with just memories of Livie being hurt, then it changed, and this was the weird part, I saw April, the girl from the ball, she was lying on the floor, crying in pain as someone beat her with a stick, then I saw her and Livie together they were cowering away from something, like they were really scared, and there was someone else with them, I couldn't see who but I think she was another girl, then I turned and there was a gunshot and Livie screaming"

Rick was silent at first then he stopped and hugged her "hey" he said "it was just a dream" she nodded "I know, but it was just so real" she whispered "you are still stressed" he said "and seeing April and Livie together made you think of what happened last year, so don't worry, it was just a dream" she nodded and smiled before looking up at him "I know it was just so real and it felt more like a warning than anything else" then she frowned "hey where did the girls go" she asked, they both looked around.

At that moment there was a loud_ crack_ that echoed around the open space, then it was replaced by shrieks of fright, both Kate and Rick stared at each other in fright before leaping off in the direction of the cries, they rounded the corner and stopped, staring.

Livie and Alexis were both staring at a man lying on the floor, blood pooling from his chest, Livie had flecks of cast off blood all over her front and her eyes were wide, Rick instantly moved over to them whilst Kate moved over to the man, she looked at him and placed a finger to her neck, searching for a pulse, she looked up as she pulled out her phone and dialled 911 "yeah" she said standing up and moving towards her daughter, hugging her protectively "there has been a shooting" she quietly told the operator their location then she added "he is a petty officer by the way" then she hung up "how do you know that" Livie asked trembling, "dog tags" Kate responded, she bent to her daughters level "honey did you see anything" Livie shook her head still staring at the man in front of her "no" she said her voice shaking "I mean we were just walking along and he was walking towards us then there was that crack and he just fell to the floor and" she gestured to him. Kate hugged her turning her away; Rick had done the same with Alexis who looked just as shocked.

Rick could see that although she was trying to be strong for Livie, she was fighting not to tremble and she too looked away, breathing hard, Livie seemed to realise this because she clung to her mother tightly, he realised that Kate was remembering her own shooting, a sniper shooting out of nowhere, but she had survived and this man hadn't.

XOXOXO

Police sirens announced the arrival of the uniforms, they asked them to stay where they were and then they began to study the crime scene roping it off; they looked at the body and then made another phone call.

They didn't have to wait long for Livie to find out what NCIS was, they heard honking and saw a van come speeding round the corner, it screeched to a stop and two men staggered out followed by a woman who had been driving "Jesus Zee" one of the men said looking rather green "you have been in America for nearly 20 years, so quit driving like a ninja and drive like an American" the woman gave him a look "well Tony it gets us there faster than your driving like a slug" "_snail_" both men corrected, she grumbled.

Another car came and parked next to the van and a silver haired man got out "tell you what you three, why don't you get to work" he said "McGee call Ducky and find out what is taking so long then get samples" the younger of the two men grabbed a kit and moved off towards the body pulling out a phone as he did so, "DiNozzo" both the other agents looked at him, he groaned "Tony, photos and sketches, Ziva come with me" he moved towards Kate and the rest of her family, he studied them "you called it in" Kate nodded "NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, this is Special Agent Ziva David DiNozzo" the woman nodded at them "did you see anything" Gibbs asked, Kate shook her head "no but my daughters were there when it happened" Gibbs looked down, and his face softened at the sight of the two girls "hey" he said, Livie and Alexis smiled at him awkwardly "now Ziva why don't you talk to them" the woman smiled kindly at the two girls and beckoned to them, slowly after glancing at Kate who nodded they followed her to a bench where she sat down with them.

"Ducky is here" the agent in charge of photos called as a ME's van drew up and an elderly man climbed out followed by a young intern "sorry I am late Jethro, I thought Mr Palmer here knew the way, evidently I was wrong" "just tell me how he died Ducky" Gibbs said taking a drink of coffee before turning back to them "so what happened" he asked, Kate carefully explained what she had seen and heard, he listened carefully before nodding, then he studied her "you a cop" he asked, she looked at him in surprise "yeah NYPD how did you know" he gave her a small smile "ah most people can't give good statements, only really cops give all the details" she smiled at him, she looked over to see Livie talking to Ziva quietly, she was listening carefully.

"ok COD looks like internal bleeding from the bullet to the heart" Ducky said "of course that is just preliminary" Gibbs nodded "can you and your daughters come back to NCIS with us" he said "so they can write statements" Kate glanced at Rick and then nodded "they can't come with us boss" the agent he called Tony said as he came over "why not" Gibbs asked, he grinned "well they are not used to Ziva's driving, we don't want to traumatise them on their trip to DC" he nodded "you really need to sort out her driving DiNozzo" Gibbs said, Tony frowned "why me" he asked, Gibbs shook his head as he passed "well she is your wife" Tony cocked his head to one side "yeah ok" he said with a sigh, "come with me" Gibbs called and Kate and Rick followed him to Ziva who nodded when Gibbs approached "we are ready to head back now Ziver" Gibbs said "try not to kill Tony and McGee on the drive back" she smiled "I will try not to Gibbs" she said and headed over to her husband.

XOXOXO

NCIS was bigger than they had realised when they had driven past, now Kate stared at the huge tall proud building as they drew close, but to her surprise it didn't look frightening, more just intimidating. Once they had gone through security they were taken up to a bullpen where the team all settled down, Gibbs then took Livie down to their forensic scientist to get her cleaned up as she still had blood on her, Kate, Rick and Alexis waited up top, Kate could see the agent they called McGee staring at Rick in amazement and shock, she looked over to find Tony staring at them curiously "what" she asked "nothing" he said "you all just seem remarkably calm" she smiled "yeah well I am a homicide detective in New York" "ah" he said "that explains it, what about your husband"

"Crime novelist" Rick said, Tony grinned "ah just our very own Probie" he said spinning in his chair to face McGee who went rather red "you are a writer" Rick said in surprise, McGee nodded "anything I might have heard of" he asked kindly "Deep Six" McGee muttered "oh" Rick said "you wrote that, wow I really liked it" McGee's face brightened "thanks I love your books, especially Nikki Heat" he glanced at Kate, Rick moved forward "don't call her Nikki Heat if you want to live" he muttered, McGee nodded, Rick looked around "so you two must be Tommy and Lisa" he said to Tony and Ziva, their faces darkened "maybe it is a thing with muses" Rick commented "they don't like being compared to their character ", all three of the muses nodded.

At that moment the elevator dinged and Kate was surprised to see a girl of 13 exit and make her way into the bullpen, she looked around surprised as saw the new people "ah" Tony said, an affectionate smile came onto his face, the girl grinned at him "the young ninja returns from her fruitful day of education, how was school oh ninja daughter of mine" the girl pulled a face "boring" she said "oh well not so fruitful then" Tony commented "still you have a 3 week break now", the girl ginned again and then dumped her bag next to his desk "and how was your day oh father of mine" Kate raised her eyebrows studying the girl, long dark, slightly frizzy hair with a v shaped hairline, slightly darkened skin, both traits identical to Ziva, she also had greenie gold eyes and a cheeky smile, that of her father, Tony.

She turned to Ziva then, and glanced at Kate, Rick and Alexis, then she spoke to Ziva rapidly in another language, Hebrew Kate realised, Ziva smiled and responded in the same language. Kate turned to Tony, "your daughter" she questioned, he nodded smiling proudly "Tali" he said, the girl, Tali grinned "hi" she said to them, they greeted her back.

At that moment Gibbs reappeared with Livie, Tali grinned when she saw him "hey" she said, Gibbs smiled back at her "hello shortcake" he said softly "Tali, this is Livie, Livie this is Tali DiNozzo" both girls studied each other and then grinned at each other. At that moment the elevator doors opened once again and two men stepped out "uh oh" Tony muttered "the FBI is here". "Gibbs" the older of the two barked "we are taking this over" "why Fornell" Gibbs asked "navy officer, Navy case" "Not when it is a serial killer" Fornell said.

Kate looked at the other man, she was surprised to find him staring at Livie, who was staring back at him "hey you were at the dance last night" he said "you were talking to my daughter" he thought "Livie isn't it" Livie nodded "Agent Booth" she said, he frowned "what are you doing here" he asked "she" Gibbs said "witnessed the shooting", both FBI agents looked at her "Gibbs this is Special Agent Seeley Booth, he specialises in colder cases" Gibbs looked at him "so cold cases are now 4 hour old cases" he said "No" Booth said "but your case is relevant, your scientist ran ballistics, came up as a match in MO to cases from years ago and a case only a few months old in New York, the MO plus gun type and bullets used matched contract killings found on the bones of 5 other bodies"

Everyone stared in shock "from what our forensic anthropologist tells us though is that these previous victims were all shot through the heart from long distance" Booth informed them, Kate shifted uneasily "what was the case in New York" Gibbs asked, "I don't know much" Booth said "all I can tell you that it was of a young woman, in broad daylight, we don't know if she lived or not I am trying to track that down, she was shot whilst giving a eulogy at her Captain's funeral"

Everyone looked at them in shock as they all reacted, Alexis gasped, and Rick groaned, Livie staggered backwards into her mother's arms, as for Kate herself, she froze, then she began to tremble, struggling to breathe as she clung to her daughter, eventually she managed to choke out "I… I can tell you about that case" they all looked at her "why did you work it" Booth asked, still breathing hard, Kate shook her head "the woman survived" she said shakily, she felt Rick take her shoulder, she looked at all the people, then her hand went up to her shirt and she lowered it just enough for them to see the huge scar on her chest "the woman was me" she said shakily.

Nobody spoke, they all just stared "ok now I am officially taking this over" Fornell said "we have a live victim, perfect, Booth you are in charge" "hey now" Gibbs said "we want in Tobias, the most recent victim is Navy, we have a right" Fornell looked at him "fine" he said "we lead though" Gibbs thought about it then nodded "main base at the Jeffersonion" Booth said "more room there, meet there in one hour" everyone nodded and Tony and Ziva packed up their stuff then they both froze and looked at Tali, Booth then noticed her "she yours" he asked the two agents, they nodded, he studied her "bring her along" he said then he looked at Livie "April will be surprised to see you again" Livie nodded from where she was still standing with her mom.

Booth looked at Kate, "hey Kate isn't it" he checked, she nodded "we just want to ask questions then you are free to go" he said, but Kate shook her head "No" she said "I want in on this" everyone looked at her "Kate" Rick whispered and she looked at him "I want to stop him" she whispered "before he hurts anyone else" she moved in close "he was feet from Livie and Alexis when that petty officer got shot, it could have easily been one of them Rick, I am not going to let that happen" "Kate" he whispered "we don't even know if he knows that you are alive, if he finds out he could come after you again you know" she nodded "I know that" she said "but I have a second chance Rick, and I want to stop him with that second chance ok" he looked at her long and hard before nodding "we both want in" he said turning to Booth who studied him "ok" he said "I will see what I can do, but you follow our orders ok" they nodded before looking at Alexis and Livie who nodded, Booth looked at them "April will be at the Jeffersonion" he said "I am sure she will look after you"

XOXOXO

If Kate had thought NCIS was big it was nothing compared to the Jeffersonion, they were given visitor passes and then led into the building to a large area with high ceilings and bright lights, in the centre of the room there was a huge platform, on it there was a woman bending over some remains and sitting in a chair beside her was April, she looked round as she heard the doors open and her face brightened as she saw her father, then she spotted the rest of the people behind her father "um mom" she said and the woman looked up, Kate heard Rick give what sounded like a small squeak, but she didn't need his excited pokes, she knew who that was, Dr Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist and crime writer. She frowned when she saw then "Booth" she questioned "what is going on" "pack up your unidentified remains Bones we are reopening that sniper case so dig those remains out" Booth said clapping his hands as he moved towards her "what is with the cavalry" she asked looking behind him "we got new leads"?

Booth nodded "two new victims, one dead Navy officer hence why NCIS is here, and one who survived the sniper, Kate Castle from NYPD" April looked up when she recognised the name Castle, and that was when she spotted Livie "hey Livie" she said leaping off the platform "didn't expect to see you again so soon" Livie smiled gently "me neither" she said, April looked over "hi Alexis" she said then she spotted Tali who was studying them, "um" Livie said "this is Tali, her parents work at NCIS" "hi" April said, Tali studied her, she seemed even more cautious than them, then slowly she smiled.

The three of them looked at each other, then April grinned "well, let's go" she said "coming" she asked Tali, she looked over her shoulder at her parents and then nodded "see you soon ninja" Tony called as they were all taken off in a different direction "Oh April" Booth called, his daughter turned to look at him "can you take Libby, we are going to be using Angela's office" April nodded "wait here" she said and took off after the adults they heard her calling then a tiny four year old came rushing out of an office, April scooped her up making her laugh loudly "April" she giggled "yeah kiddo let's go, I got new friends for you to meet" April said. Kate smiled as she looked at the tiny girl giggling in April's arms, she was adorable, she saw Ziva smiling too and she rested one hand on her stomach underneath her baggy top, her husband Tony was smiling too. April took her little sister back to where Tali, Livie and Alexis all stood, and then the five of them disappeared into another office.

XOXOXO

Once they had been introduced to the rest of the team from the Jeffersonion, which included Dr Camille 'Cam' Saroyan, the boss of the Forensic Anthropology Department, then there was Dr Jack Hodgins, he called himself the bug and slime guy, but was happy doing any sort of forensic work, then there was his newly wed wife Angela Montenegro Hodgins, who worked as an artist, doing facial reconstruction and working a huge machine they all called the 'Angelator', this helped work out different scenarios, they were told. Once the introductions were complete and they had all introduced themselves, Kate and Rick explained what their team had discovered about the sniper, she called Ryan and Esposito up who were surprised to hear from her and then shocked when they heard what had happened, they instantly began to clamour asking how Livie and Alexis were, she had to shout at them to make them hear her.

Once she had assured them that they were all ok, she had them explain to the room on speaker what else they knew and it was all noted carefully down "thanks boys" Kate said "I will call if I need anything else" "ok" Ryan said "you do know Lanie is going to flip when she hears" Kate winced "can you tell her for me" she asked "wuss" Esposito called "no it is just this call is already costing me a massive phone bill" Kate responded, though she didn't really want to be the one to tell Lanie what had happened "tell her DC is great and the dance was amazing" "Ok" Esposito said "call if you need anything else" "will do thanks boys" she said before shutting her phone.

Once that was done everyone went off to talk leaving her, Rick, Tony and Ziva all sitting together on the couch in Angela's office "how old is Tali" Rick asked curiously "she's 13" Tony responded with a smile "what about Livie" "14" Kate responded "and April is 15 I think" they nodded, Ziva looked at Kate "was Livie there when you got shot" she asked softly, Kate nodded and they both shivered "that must be horrible for a child to watch a parent dying on the ground" Tony said, Kate lowered her head "just as bad as it is for a parent to watch their child dying on the floor" she said quietly, both of them looked at her in confusion and they had something in their eyes, familiarity, as if they knew what she meant, she frowned back at them, then they heard giggling and they saw that Alexis seemed to have bonded with Libby rather well because she was chasing her round the platform giggling too as she hurried after the 4 year old, Rick smiled at his daughter, the other three could be seen talking through the window, all three of them looked relaxed and comfortable.

"looks like ninja has made new friends" Tony said cheerfully, Kate looked at him "why do you call her ninja" she asked, he grinned "because she is a ninja, you wait till you see her fight, she is just like her mother" Ziva scowled but then rolled her eyes at him as she elbowed him "you taught her to fight" Kate asked confused, both of them shook their heads vigorously "well we did a bit, but not to the extent she is now" Ziva said, she looked at them for a minute before deciding "I used to live in Israel" she said "and I was part of Mossad" both Kate and Rick gaped, she gave them a smile "I quit once I arrived in America and settled but my father is the Director and he came after Tali to use her in a mission and he trained her brutally to fight, to win, we nearly lost her, when he nearly drove all emotion out of her, but we got her back" she gave a small smile as they stared in shock "why her" Rick asked, Ziva lowered her head "she was my daughter, I quit, partly out of spite and partly because she had already faced danger and fought, she was already part broken, she was taken from us as leverage twice, so she wasn't afraid by danger after facing it twice and nearly dying the second time"

Both Kate and Rick stared "um, is it weird that that sounds a lot like Livie" Kate said, they both frowned "she was taken as leverage, and held until I gave them what they wanted they tortured her, burning her back and when they had what they wanted they tried to kill her but she survived" it was Tony and Ziva's turn to gape "wow" Tony said, he gave them a brief version of what had happened to Tali when she was 12 "they are so similar the pair of them" Kate said.

"The three of them", they looked over to see Brennan and Booth standing in the doorway obviously having heard most of that conversation "same thing happened to April" Booth said "taken as leverage, nearly died, but we got her back" he gave a small smile "then last year we get in trouble so she decides it is up to her to come looking for us and get herself into trouble again to rescue us, she is way to plucky" he looked at Tony "maybe Tali could give her a self-defence lesson" he joked "so she doesn't get into any more danger" they all cracked a small smile and looked into the office where their daughters sat "no wonder they get on so well" Booth commented "this is one huge coincidence" Tony said "all kidnapped kids, three teams working the same case" he glanced at Brennan "three writers" "huge coincidence" Rick agreed, they all went their separate ways after that, McGee reappeared and began to talk to Rick, the pair of them instantly began to discuss writing and after a while Brennan drifted over and they eagerly included her, she seemed uncertain but curious.

Kate and Ziva went up onto a platform where there were seats and she found Gibbs and Booth deep in conversation, they smiled and beckoned to them to join them "where is your follower" Booth asked Kate, she smiled "deep in discussion with Brennan and McGee about books" she looked at Ziva "where's Tony" she asked, she shrugged "harassing Hodgins the last I saw" Booth laughed "serves him right, he deserves a taste of his own medicine", they discussed the case for a bit and then their daughters, Gibbs listening a small frown on his face as he heard of the three girls with their similarities, then they all looked over to where they were still talking, Alexis and Libby were with Angela and Alexis was deep in conversation with the artist who looked delighted at the new company, Kate smiled, how strange this was all becoming, she thought, and not just strange, but similar too, and what was it that she always said, there are no such things as coincidences in a murder investigation, well this was either a huge coincidence or she had the nagging feeling their pasts had a huge role to play in this.

**Hope you liked it please let me know, any feedback at all would be much appreciated and you never know, the more reviews I get the faster I will update **

**Thanks **

**Mysticgirl**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone, thanks for all the amazing reviews, please keep them coming, hope you like this one too xx**

Chapter 4

April studied Tali and Livie curiously as they studied each other and her just as curiously, Libby had taken an almost instant liking to Livie's older stepsister Alexis and was showing her eagerly around their area of the Jeffersonion, their parents were still talking.

She looked at Livie who leaned back in her chair "so Tali" she said "what's it like at NCIS" Tali looked up, she was the youngest of the three of them, but she seemed just as haunted by her past as they had, she smiled "amazing" she said "it is the only life I have ever known but I don't want another life, the team is my family" Livie smiled "same with my mom's team" she said "and with mine" April chimed in, the three of them grinned at each other "so you two met last night" Tali asked, they nodded "we were at a dinner, with our parents" April said, Livie nodded, then she glanced at April before looking back at Tali "why does your father call you ninja" she asked curiously, Tali laughed "long story" she said "the short version is because in a way I am a ninja, I can fight, like properly ninja fight"

April and Livie both blinked at her "um wow where did you learn to do that" Livie asked curiously, Tali smiled "that is in the long story" she said "Israel with Mossad" April raised her eyebrows in shock "um what is Mossad" Livie asked "Israeli Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations" Tali explained "but I call it Assassin headquarters " April cocked her head to one side "you don't sound very fond of it" Tali snorted "understatement" she said looking down "they took me and forcefully trained me, you have no idea how painful it was"

April and Livie both glanced at each other and looked down at each other's scars "um we might actually" April said gently, Tali looked up at them confused, slowly Livie twisted allowing her burns on her neck to come into view and April twisted lifting up the back of her shirt so that the scars on her back could come into view, Tali stared before she twisted showing them the marks on her back and then she lowered her shirt so that they could see the two bullet wound marks "you were shot twice" Livie exclaimed "not at the same time" Tali said "I was shot once when I was 12 in a shootout that turned into open fire, the second was when I was forced to be Mossad and I was being held hostage by a terrorist, and to stop him from shooting people I um kinda turned the gun on myself and shot myself so that the bullet passed through me and into him" both the other two girls stared at her "ok the ninja nickname suits you" April said and Tali smiled weakly.

The three of them shared the stories of their horrors opening up to each other like they had never opened up to anyone else about their traumas, April and Livie were shocked by Tali, she was the youngest, yet she had seen so much more than even they had, faced so much more danger, yet somehow she was so calm, she told them that if she got mad she lost control so she had to find safe ways to let her anger out, they ended up opened up to each other about many things, Tali told them about her baby brother Aiden who was with their scientist Abby at the moment whilst her parents were here and life with her family and even showed them a few self-defence moves, Livie told them about life in New York and her mom's team and living with Rick Castle, and April told them about her life at the Jeffersonion and learning about anthropology from her mother and her little sister Libby.

All three of them were surprised when their parents came in and told them that it was late and time to go home, they hadn't noticed the time slipping by "don't worry" Tony said "we will all be back tomorrow so you can continue your girly talk then" "what's happening to AJ tomorrow" Tali asked, "they said we could send him to the Jeffersonion day-care for a bit" Ziva said with a smile "cool" Tali said and they all leapt up, Booth reappeared with a giggling Libby under his arm "April help" the four year old said giggling "daddy got me" "oh dear" April said with a grin "here I come Libs" she ran towards her father grabbing her baby sister and spinning her around making her giggle louder.

They all left the Jeffersonion and Livie and her family caught a taxi back whilst the rest of them headed off to their cars. All the way back Livie was silent "you ok honey" Kate asked gently, Livie looked at her "I know you don't believe in coincidence but you have to admit that this is one hell of a coincidence" Kate looked at her daughter, she was right, three teams, 3 writers, three daughters, three kidnappings, 3 strong girls, they had never crossed paths but it was amazing that they had not, their lives were so similar, hurt and broken, but managing to stay together, part of her still worried that maybe it wasn't a coincidence.

She looked at her daughter "yeah" she said though "hell of a coincidence" Livie smiled at her weakly before returning to looking out the window, Kate copied her gazing out the window as DC flashed by, she hoped though that this did remain as one hell of a coincidence.

XOXOXO

Kate heard a screaming cry of terror that instantly had her leaping out of bed, she grabbed a robe and two keys and exited the room before Rick had even registered she was up, she dashed across the room and slotted the key into the and hurried into their daughter's room.

Livie was sitting up in her bed shivering and sobbing quietly but she was pressed against Alexis' chest and her older sister was holding her tightly soothing her gently whispering words of comfort as she stroked her hair gently, she gave Kate a weak smile as she entered which Kate returned as she sat down on the edge of the bed and gently stroked Livie's back, Livie looked at them both with a smile "I was kind of expecting them" she mumbled "but it didn't make it any easier" Kate rubbed her shoulder gently "you'll be ok honey" she said softly, she nodded and lowered her head, Kate looked at her "do you want me to stay" she asked, Livie looked up at her thinking, then she shook her head gently "thanks but I'll be fine" she said softly "I mean this is the first one I have had in a long time, I think I can manage"

Kate smiled at her and pulled her into a hug "if you are sure" she said "you know where I am if you change your mind" Livie nodded hugging her back before she curled up under the covers, Alexis smiled at her sister then she said softly "scoot over Livs" and she slipped into the bed next to her sister, Kate smiled at them both before giving them each a kiss and leaving the room shutting the door quietly behind her and she slipped across the hall into her room, Rick was lying awake waiting "she ok" he mumbled, she nodded as she slipped into the bed next to him "yeah" she said and gave him a small smile "she is with Alexis" that made him smile and he tugged her into his arms and they slowly drifted off to sleep again.

XOXOXO

When Tony woke up he found that the bed next to him was vacant, he swung himself out of bed and out into the living room where Ziva was sitting on the sofa, she was smiling at the 11 month old baby boy sitting on her knee grinning up at her, she smiled as she saw her husband "hey" he said moving over to give her a kiss "where's ninja" he asked "out running with Brodie" she said referring to their daughter's dog, he nodded "hey little man" he said reaching over to lift up his son "how's it going hey, you ready to go play somewhere new today, and no doubt drive the carers up the wall" Aiden giggled and kicked his legs happily, grinning Tony set him down on the floor with his toys before sitting next to Ziva "so" he said "what do you think about this case" she shrugged "I do not know what to think, I am trying to ignore the fact that it brought three teams together all with teenage daughters, all who have been kidnapped, it is bizarre don't you think" he nodded "I feel the same".

They looked up as they heard a key being inserted into the lock and Tali came in with Brodie the Australian Shepard on his leash, the dog was breathing heavily tongue out his sides heaving, Tali unclipped his lead and he ran straight into the kitchen to have a long drink from his bowl before he ran out to the living room and sniffed AJ who giggled and grabbed at him before plonking himself down onto the rug, allowing the baby to climb all over him.

"good run" Tony asked Tali, she nodded "Brodie decided to chase squirrels" "who won" Tony asked "oh the squirrels every time" Tali said with a grin "Brodie got very frustrated when they climbed the trees, it was like they were teasing him" Tony chuckled, "you ready to go back to the Jeffersonion today" he asked, she nodded "April and Livie are nice" she said "and in a way it is nice to meet people who understand and know what I have been through" Ziva smiled at her daughter who grinned back "well I had better go shower" she said "cus we need to go soon" Tony looked at his watch "um yeah" he said leaping to his feet and heading back towards the bedroom, Ziva smiled as she too stood and looked at AJ "daddy not very prepared" she asked, he giggled "I know" she said bending down to lift him up "come on mini man let's get you some breakfast"

When Tali came out towelling her hair, Ziva was just finishing feeding AJ who had food all round his mouth and kept blowing raspberries, Tali laughed as she reached into the cupboard for a bowl "oh AJ you are such a boy" she told her brother, who beamed at his big sister happily "do you mean he is messy and greedy" Ziva asked "yep" Tali said reaching for the cereal "hey us boys aren't all that bad are we" Tony complained as he came out dressed for work, both his girls looked at him and he sighed "don't answer that" he said, Tali grinned at her mom who smiled back at her as she carried AJ off to get cleaned up and dressed, ready for a day at the Jeffersonion day care centre.

XOXOXO

Booth awoke when he felt the bed shake and there was a loud giggling from above him, he groaned and opened his eyes to find Libby crouched on top of him giggling "mommy said to wake you up" she said "cus she wants to get to work soon so she can look at bones" he rolled his eyes, Libby, like April wasn't fazed by what Brennan did for a living, in fact she had shown some interest in it but as she was only four they didn't let her near any bodies, though she loved to proudly name all the bones in her body "ok baby girl I'm up" he muttered "no you're not" she said, he groaned again and then sat up pulling her into his arms and tickling her stomach making her squeal with laughter and wriggle "daddy" she giggled "stop daddy stop" smiling he released her and stood up, he stretched and headed over to the wardrobe to pull on some clothes.

When he came down, Brennan was sitting at the kitchen table looking at the case files, April was curled up on the sofa with her laptop and Libby was happily watching cartoons "morning" he greeted and all three of them greeted him back, he got himself some breakfast and then sat down next to Brennan peering over her shoulder at the files "I hate contract killer cases" he said "you can't find a connection to use to track them down" Brennan looked at him "maybe it is good that we have the other teams" she said "extra man power and extra brains" "plus the live victim" Booth said pulling the folder labelled Katherine Castle towards him, he flipped it open and looked at the details, he sighed, she hadn't had an easy life by the looks of it:

She had become pregnant with her daughter Livie at aged 18, her father was not mentioned, her mother had helped her raise her baby until she had been brutally murdered when Kate was 19, the killer was never caught, she had joined the police force a few years after, she raised her daughter as a single mom whilst working her way through the ranks of NYPD until she became the youngest female to ever be promoted to Detective, it said she was an extraordinary detective, she was dedicated and hardworking, empathising with the victim's family due to what had happened to her own mother.

He studied the picture of her and her new family – she had married her writer tag along after he had shadowed her for 3 years, after her daughter had been abducted and he had been there for her comforting, they hadn't been married for very long when she had been shot at the funeral right in front of her daughter. He looked up at his own daughters curled on the sofa, he hated the idea of a child having to watch their mother dying on the ground, it must have been so painful for Livie and after everything she had already been through.

"Shall we go" he asked closing the file and they all nodded and leapt up fetching their bags and he carefully shepherded Bones and their two daughters out of the house and into the car.

XOXOXO

When Kate and her family arrived they found the Jeffersonion team already there along with Agent Gibbs who was on the phone, the rest of his team hadn't arrived yet, Livie and April wondered off chatting, whilst Libby ran to say hi to Alexis and the two of them disappeared off to talk and play too, Kate wondered into Angela's office where the young artist greeted her warmly "so apart from the guy being murdered what do you think of DC" she asked, Kate smiled "nice, I think Livie likes it" Angela smiled at her, then her smile widened "oh my gosh he's so cute" she gushed, Kate turned around to see the DiNozzo's coming in and in Ziva's arms there was a tiny baby boy who couldn't be older than a year, Ziva spotted them and made her way over smiling, instantly Angela moved over "aw is this your son" she asked, with a smile Ziva nodded and transferred her baby to Angela who began to coo over him making him smile which instantly increased Angela's cooing "yes his name is Aiden, but we call him AJ" she said with a smile, Angela offered Kate the baby and with a smile she reached out to take him, she looked into his eyes, the same soft brown as his mother's "hello AJ" she said gently bouncing him on her hip.

"aw Kate looking good" she scowled at Rick as he came in grinning at the sight of her and the baby "don't get any ideas" she said raising her eyebrows at him, he pouted before wiggling his fingers at AJ who waved his arms around in the air excitedly, Kate smiled, he was pretty cute. "Shall I show you where the day care is" Angela asked "I like to take Libby down there" Ziva nodded gratefully and Kate handed her back her son and Angela fetched Libby and they exited the lab, Tali followed obviously wanting to see where her baby brother was going. Kate felt Rick wrap his arms around her "you are telling me" he said softly "that you don't want another adorable baby", she smiled and leaned against him "maybe" she said "but why don't we talk about this later rather than in the middle of a murder investigation" she felt him chuckle "because I think I am more likely to get you to say yes when there is a little baby around and you are having cuddles with him" Tony burst out laughing as she elbowed him "oh I like your thinking writer boy" Rick pouted "is that everyone's nickname for me" he asked making then both laugh again.

XOXOXO

Booth wondered along the top platform thinking about the case, Tony and Gibbs were getting information from their forensic scientist and Medical Examiner about the dead Marine and they were waiting for Angela and Ziva to get back from dropping the kids off at day-care so they could begin.

That was when he spotted Livie sitting on the floor dangling her legs over the balcony's edge swinging them, she was resting her chin on her hands which were resting on the bottom bar of the railing, she was looking at the platform where April was with Brennan wearing her lab coat helping her mom set out the bones of the other victims.

"hey" he said "you ok" she looked up at him and then shrugged "I'm ok, you" she said, "yeah not bad" he said, he studied her "can I join you" he asked, she shrugged again and he joined her sitting swinging his legs, he followed her gaze now to her mom who was standing in front of a white board writing up some information on all of the cases "does your mom always work like that" he asked, she nodded "it is very effective" she said "helps her look at all the information, so she remains focused" he noted that she didn't sound to happy, he looked from her to her mom, "what's wrong kiddo" he asked, at first she didn't answer then she let out a sigh and looked at him "Rick told me that when I was taken and nearly killed, my mom fell apart, he said he had never seen her so upset, she was near inconsolable and she drove herself nearly into the ground looking for me"

She looked back at her mom who now sat looking at her white board "I thought I knew how she felt but it turned out I didn't, then my mom got shot" she paused and took a shaky breath "god then I knew, it felt like I was getting ripped open, before I was taken my mom was all I had, she meant everything to me and then suddenly she was dying on the floor in my arms, god it hurt so bad, I was terrified, terrified that I would lose her, and whilst I was waiting in the hospital, waiting for any news all I could think about was what would I do if mom died, and I just wanted revenge, I knew that if she died, I would hunt for revenge even if it killed me" she looked at him

"my mom was the same when her mom died" she said softly "she felt the same as me, I know it, anger and revenge drives her, she became obsessed with her mom's case, it got real bad at one point, she spent all her time trying to solve it, eventually she realised how obsessed she was because I came in to her room and tried to get her to take me out, I was five and bored, I wanted to go play in the park, she had been up all night so she was tired and stressed, she didn't mean to but she snapped at me" she paused again looking at her mom "we both froze, I was hurt and confused because she never snapped at me, and she was shocked and horrified that she had done so, she just looked down at the case, realised what she was doing and shut the folder shoving it into her drawer, she came over and picked me up and hugged me so tight whispering to me that she was so so sorry and that she would never do it again, she just kept whispering to me how sorry she was and that she loved me so much and would never leave me ever, she promised me it would always be the two of us always and forever"

She paused again and looked at him "she didn't fall in so deep again, there was occasional times but I helped her pull out before she got in too deep, but some cases especially when the case gets personal she will begin to become obsessed, and this one is personal"

Booth realised what she was talking about "you're scared your mom will get in too deep with this case" he said, she nodded "when she was telling Rick that she wanted to be a part of this case she said that it could have been me or Lexie, she wanted to stop him before it was either me or Lexie, I am scared that her determination to protect me is going to either drive her into the ground or she is going to get hurt again, I mean she was shot the first time because she got too close to the answer to her mom's murder, so they, whoever they are, hired someone to take her out, this guy is a contract killer, he could try again himself, or he might just realise that she was one of his targets and try to finish her off properly this time"

Booth reached out and gently took her hand "hey" he said gently "don't worry Livie, we won't let anything happen to your mom ok, we won't let her get in too deep and you can warn us about it ok if she does, no one is going to get hurt in this case, I mean come on we have three amazing teams coming together to catch this guy, we are going to get him, I promise" he looked at her seriously, and she smiled "thanks Booth" she said softly, he grinned at her "no worries" he looked over "ah Ziva and Angela are back, shall we" Livie nodded and followed him down the stairs to the main area where they met up with everyone, April came down shrugging out of her lab coat greeting both Livie and Tali cheerfully, they followed their parents into Angela's office where another version of Kate's whiteboard had been set up on Angela's computer with all the information, Booth saw Livie shudder at the sight of her mom up there with all the other victims, he saw that Kate herself looked a bit uncertain so he had everyone hurry through that without missing any details, Angela searched through all of their data looking for any connection but didn't find one, but they hadn't been expecting one.

So they turned to the bodies, Kate had given them her incident report from the hospital and McGee had driven over to get the NCIS report from their examiner Ducky, all the deaths were the same, single shot through the heart, killing them instantly, from what they had gathered, it was only the fact that Rick had screamed out 'Kate' and she had shifted slightly about to look at him at the exact moment the sniper had pulled the trigger, that Kate was still alive today. Brennan told them everything that they had gathered from the old cases, they had connected them when looking through old cases they had found their victims profiles in an apartment, they had realised it had been a contract killer, they had started to trace the bank accounts but they couldn't find out who they belonged too, payments popped up every time a new victim appeared. "He knows we know about the bank accounts" Booth said "it is like he is taunting us by leaving them open, we can't touch him as we don't know who he is so all we do know is when there is another victim"

Everyone was silent, then April looked at Livie who was sitting very still not very happy "hey shall we go" she asked, Livie nodded and Tali leapt up to join them, Alexis decided to give them some space to comfort each other, and stayed with the adults.

XOXOXO

Livie followed April and Tali back into Dr Brennan's office and they all fell onto the sofa again "your brother is well cute" April said to Tali who smiled "yeah he is except when he is screaming at the top of his lungs at 3 o'clock in the morning" they both winced "you ok Livie" April asked "you didn't look too happy in there" Livie smiled weakly "just worrying about my mom that is all, I mean she is the only live victim, what if he finds out and tries to kill her again" "hey" April said "he won't because our parents are going to catch this guy, come on our parents always catch the bad guy don't they" both of the other two girls nodded and April grinned before she looked at Tali "you ok" she asked "you look tired, AJ up early" Tali smiled "no I got up at 0500 to go for a run, I do that every morning, it is a good way of safely venting all my energy" they both looked at her and she lowered her head "whilst I was with Mossad they broke me, they tried to beat every emotion out of me and change it into anger, and in a way they did, I get frustrated easily and if I sense danger I react very fast, so I run to keep my emotions under control, I also work out in the gym, sparring and stuff" April grinned "you have to show me some moves some time" Tali grinned "deal" she said "wanna learn Livie" she nodded happily and Tali grinned.

Just then they heard someone calling out "Tali eifo aten tateleh" (where are you sweetheart), Tali leapt up "ima ba haarets" (mom, in here), Ziva appeared in the doorway "hello" she said. She looked at April "your father asked me to tell you that someone called Sweets is here and he wants a quick word with you" April groaned and stood up with a mock sigh and slouched out of the room, the others followed her back into Angela's office where a young man was standing talking to the rest of the teams who were looking like they were struggling to take him seriously, and Livie and Tali couldn't blame them, he looked like he was 12.

When he spotted April he grinned "hey April" he said "hi Sweets" she said with a small smile "and who are your friends" Sweets asked "um yeah Sweets this is Talia 'Tali' DiNozzo and Olivia 'Livie' Beckett, guys this is Lance Sweets, he is a psychologist with the FBI" Both girls nodded politely to him and he smiled back before studying them "stop trying to use your weird shrink powers on them" April warned, he pouted at her, "nice to meet you both" he said holding out his hand both of them shook it, Tali's eyes flicked over him assessing him as a threat before she came forward, she must have perceived him as ok because she relaxed and smiled at him as she came to say hi "so" he said "I hear you two and April are very similar, as in you have had the same haunting troubled past"

Everyone who worked for the Jeffersonion glowered threateningly at him but he ignored them, Tali eyed him "yeah" she said "I guess you could say that" "and do you cope ok" he asked interested "ok Sweets we asked you here to profile the killer, not a 13 year old girl who we already know" Booth said, Tali looked at him "yeah I cope" she said "I kick butts belonging to those who annoy me", April burst out laughing as Sweets looked from face to face trying to decide whether to take her seriously or not, "Oh she means it Sweets" April said a twinkle in her eye "her dad calls her ninja", Tony joined in "yeah cus she seriously kicks butt" Sweets eyed Tali who smiled sweetly and innocently at him as though daring him to have a go. He decided against it and turned to April "haven't seen you recently, how's it going" she rolled her eyes at him "good, no issues, no recurring nightmare flashbacks, I have had none since Christmas"

Livie saw her mom look at April as she did staring at her, April saw them looking and glanced at Livie questioningly "you have nightmare flashbacks too" Livie asked, April nodded "well I did" she said "haven't had one recently though" she looked at Livie "you have them too" Livie nodded "still" she asked gently, Livie nodded again "I had one last night" she mumbled "but they are not very common now" "they will go away" April encouraged "mine did", they could see Sweets looking at them but they both ignored him, they looked at Tali, she nodded "I had a few" she said softly "after I returned from Mossad, I dreamed of what had happened to me there, what they made me do, but they stopped after a while too"

Livie stood up and quietly left the room, Kate rose as if to follow her, but Rick caught hold of her arm "give her a minute" he said softly "time is what is best for her now" she nodded uncertainly and sank back into her seat, "Sweets profile the killer now if you would please" Booth said pointedly, April and Tali sat down next to their parents to listen to the psychologist's theory.

"well" he began "April do you remember what I told you about childhood attachments" everyone looked at April who nodded "yeah" she said "three types, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant, and secure, they are long enduring emotionally meaningful ties to a particular individual, they are extremely powerful and emotionally laden " he nodded "good, do you remember what I said about the long term effects of disrupting attachments" she nodded again "something about if the kid goes through deprivation of their childhood attachment figure at a young age it can lead to the attachment being severed, it affects future relationships and you became stronger and angrier and more independent, it can lead to affectionless psychopathy" he raised his eyebrows "very good April I am impressed" she smiled sweetly at him "and this is relevant because" Gibbs asked "what I am saying is that your killer probably suffered from deprivation at a young age, maybe his parents were killed or he was put into foster care" April visibly shuddered "I don't know exactly, but that is what triggers it, the shots are precise to the heart, meaning he is a quick and efficient person, he doesn't like mess, so he cleans up after himself, he is very careful, the fact that he shoots from such a long distance suggest though that he is not entirely emotionless"

Everyone looked at him, Sweets looked at Booth "wasn't it easier to kill behind a sniper rifle than it is with a hand gun" Booth frowned and then nodded slowly, "that is because the sniper rifle and the distance acts as a buffer, which is any aspect of a situation which distances the individual from the consequences of their actions, by distancing himself from the victims instead of doing the job at a closer range, the killer is distancing himself from the painful feelings that he feels when he takes a life, so if you catch this guy alive, you might be able to reason with him though don't hold me to that" he added at the end, everyone thought "ok thanks Sweets" Booth said "we will call you if we need you" the young psychologist nodded and left the room moving out into the gardens.

He was just about to leave when he spotted a figure sitting on the edge of the fountain staring across the grounds, slowly he moved forward "Livie" he said gently, she started slightly and looked up at him "oh hi Dr Sweets" she mumbled "just call me Sweets" he said sitting on the edge of the fountain "you ok" she shrugged, he studied her "does it have something to do with your dreams" he asked, she shrugged again but he saw a flicker of something in her eyes and knew he was right "come on Livie I am a professional, maybe I can help"

For a long time she sat there in silence and he thought she might not answer, then she quietly said "they managed to move on" "who" he asked, she looked at him "Tali and April, they don't have their dreams any more, they managed to pick their lives back up, April got over losing her parents and became an intern with her mom, Tali managed to get over becoming a trained killer, she can control that, both of them have moved on with their lives, I am still stuck" "hey" Sweets said "you are not stuck kiddo" she looked at him "I still dream, it has been over a year and I still dream, they are not as bad usually but last night it was awful, it was just like after it happened"

He studied her "do you want to talk about it" he asked, she sighed "same thing happens over and over again, someone is holding a video camera over me and talking to me, then two more come in and force me to the ground, then I see a white hot pipe coming down towards my back" she paused again "that is when someone usually manages to wake me up" Sweets looked at her "just because you still dream doesn't mean you are stuck Livie" he said, she looked at him uncertainly "it just means that you still hurt, and after what I have gathered that you have been through I am not surprised, you were not prepared in the same way Tali and April were for that, April has been coming to the Jeffersonion since she was 6 weeks old, she has seen death a lot, and Tali went to work with her parents all the time, she knew a lot about murder, and I guess her mom is a kick ass, you were kept innocent to it all, and everyone copes with things differently and at different rates, I promise that when this all goes away you are going to have an amazing future and you are going to shine bright"

She looked at him before she gave a gentle smile "thanks Sweets" she said softly "that was kind of helpful" he grinned happily "knew it would be" he said, he looked at his watch before reaching into his pocket "well listen I have an appointment so I have to run but here" he handed her his card, "if you want to talk don't hesitate ok" she nodded "thanks see you around I guess" he nodded and headed off to his car thinking, those three girls had been through the wars and survived and were recovering, slowly, maybe though they could help each other.

**Hope you like it , thanks so much for all the reviews, I love them all so much :D would love some more.**

**Please review, I promise I will try to update faster if I get more reviews**

**Thanks **

**Mysticgirl**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming, hope you like this one **

Chapter 5

Livie re-entered the Jeffersonion to see April and Tali standing side by side, slowly Tali lifted her leg and did a slow motion round house kick, grinning April copied her, "hey Livie" Tali called "you ok" she nodded and pushed Dr Sweets' card into her pocket "what's going on" she asked "ninja school lesson 1" Tali said with a smile "want to join in" Livie grinned "sounds interesting" she said "where did you get the crash mats" she asked looking at the mats on the floor "Hodgins likes to do weird experiments a lot" April explained "you can find practically anything around here, though I think these were health and safety from Hodgins' experiments" Livie laughed, with a grin Tali stepped forward "try to punch me" she said to April who eyed her warily "is this going to break my wrist" she asked, smiling Tali shook her head "no I am in control I promise", April shifted and then swung her fist at Tali's jaw.

Lighting fast the youngest of the three of them ducked round the blow catching hold of her wrist and throwing it away, April lashed out at her side this time but Tali parried it away again with ease, she caught her next swing and twisted behind her pulling her arm behind her back, instantly April used her leg to knock Tali off her feet and they both tumbled to the ground where they lay laughing loudly "nice improvisation" Tali said as she got to her feet and pulled April up "how did you know where I would strike" April asked, Tali smiled, "you put all your weight behind your punch" she said "meaning I see your weight shift so I know which arm you will use and when you went for my hip you angled down before you even began the swing" April stared "ok am not doing that again" she said, Tali grinned "want to try Livie" she asked, Livie shook her head "um I have never thrown a punch like that in my life so I don't think I will be much good" April smiled at her "probably sensible" she said.

She showed them how to get out of choke holds though she said if there was a gun involved don't even try, she told them to jab your elbows into their stomach, if they had you pinned against the wall the first thing not to do would be panic, second hook your elbow over their arm and yank it down, Livie found she felt slightly better when they finished, they looked over and spotted Ziva watching them, she smiled and stood up moving over to Tali who grinned at her mom before speaking to her in Hebrew, Ziva raised her eyebrows and replied, then Tali grinned and struck out with her fist.

Ziva was just as fast as Tali, maybe even faster, she knocked Tali's blow away before sending her own back as April and Livie both back out of the way, Tali dodged the blow catching hold of her fist, with a small laugh Ziva pulled her into her arms pinning her arms, Tali giggled before twisting sending her mother off balance and freeing herself, Tali danced clear fists raised, as Ziva spun round "not bad tateleh" she said, Tali grinned again, they threw a few more blows at each other before laughing and backing away, they turned to find everyone watching looking shocked except for Tony and Gibbs who had seen it many times before, they were watching looking slightly bored "shall we go get lunch somewhere" Tony suggested, everyone nodded "anyone know anywhere good" Rick asked "we know a place" Booth said and his team nodded.

XOXOXO

Half an hour later they were all seated across the entire length of the counter at the King's Diner which thankfully was empty so they had the place to themselves allowing them to discuss the case as they ate, Livie, April, Tali and Alexis all sat chatting at a booth nibbling at their food, eventually the talk strayed away from the case and Kate and Ziva began to talk about their job in general being the only female cops in the group, McGee began to ask Rick about his writing and Brennan joined in after a while and the rest of the men all began to talk about sports.

Giggling April and Tali offered to take Alexis and Livie on a short tour of DC someday soon and they both agreed eagerly. They were just discussing where to go when Gibbs' mobile rang, he pulled it out and answered it, instantly his face darkened, everyone stopped and looked at him as he said "thank you, we will be there soon" and he hung up looking at them all sombrely "there has been another killing" he said "Marine down by the docks, they believe it is our killer" he looked at Tony, Ziva and McGee "gear up" he said, the three of them slid off their stools and headed to their car, Gibbs looked at the others "you coming" he asked, they all nodded "fancy being our medical examiner" he asked Brennan "I know skin and organs isn't your thing but Ducky is out of town and I don't trust the replacement" Brennan shrugged "I guess that with my expertise I can generalise it to the whole body" "that's a yes" Booth simplified "come on Bones lets go" "what about us" Tali asked, everyone looked at them " "might as well" Gibbs said "killer is long gone, you stay close though" he said, they all nodded.

XOXOXO

When they arrived the dock yard had been cleared of all workers who were giving their statements to the other uniforms, the team moved forward towards the body and Brennan crouched down next to him "well preliminary cause of death would be massive internal bleeding from the bullet wound to the heart", she stuck a probe into his liver "liver temp suggests he died at least 12 hours ago" Gibbs nodded and looked around before looking back at her "anything else you can tell me" he asked, she studied the body then picked up a phone lying next to him "he was on his phone when he died" she said "well maybe whoever he was talking to heard something, DiNozzos" he called, Tony and Ziva came over cameras and sampling kits in hand "leave that to McGee I want you to find out who this marine was on the phone too when he died" they both nodded and took the evidence bag and headed off to go see Abby, with Tali on their heels.

Gibbs looked around and spotted a security camera "Beckett" he said spotting her studying the body, her daughter was eyeing the docks uncertainly, Kate looked up "why don't you and agent Booth go get those security tapes" he said, they nodded and headed off with Rick and their daughters towards the office, then he looked at Brennan still studying the body "your boss going to be ok to do the autopsy" he asked "yes I believe she will be" she said without looking up, eventually she did "I will call for a van" she said and he nodded.

XOXOXO

Kate and Booth stepped into the security office, instantly one guy stood up "can I help you" he asked, Booth held up his badge "Special Agent Seeley Booth FBI, this is Detective Kate Castle" the guy nodded and looked over their shoulders at Rick and the girls "tag along" Booth said "listen I take it you know about what happened here last night" the guy nodded "well we want to see all the security videos you have" he said, the guy nodded "right this way" he said and he lead them into the back room, Rick and the girls followed.

They all waited patiently until he had loaded yesterday's footage, then they all peered in until they spotted their victim, slowly they began to follow his route on the cameras, he was talking animatedly on his phone "he looks excited about something" Booth noted, Kate nodded and kept her eyes on the screen, then their victim jerked and fell to the ground dropping the phone as his white shirt blossomed with colour as blood stained it red. They rewound it a couple of times looking for anything but there was nothing "do you cover this place in audio" Booth asked and the security guy nodded he fiddled for a bit getting to the right time before playing the track, it was night time so there were no loud clangs and crashes as things were moved on and off the boats, there was just one loud bang which echoed around in the near silence making them all flinch.

_BANG, Bang, bang_

The shot echoed loudly, then there was a crash from behind and they all whirled round to see Livie stagger backwards her eyes wide with terror, she staggered into another table, instantly Kate realised what was wrong and turned to her "Livie, shh its ok" she soothed, Livie shook her head breathing hard "I need to get out of here" she gasped, heading for the door, Kate made to follow her but she cried out "no mom I will be fine, I just need space" Kate froze "Livie" she called but she was already running "I'll meet you back at the lab" her daughter called then she was gone, before Kate could even try to follow her.

Kate stared after her daughter in worry, April made to move past her but Booth caught hold of her arm "if she wants space give her space" he said quietly, April looked at him then slowly nodded, Booth turned back to the guy who looked confused "can we take those videos and the audio please" he said, then he turned to Kate who was leaning against the wall "she ok" he asked gently, Kate sighed and ran her hands through her hair "when she was kidnapped, the kidnappers made an exchange point at the docks, to stop me from trying anything, they shot her" Booth and April's eyes widened "three times" Kate said softly, "that echoing shot must have reminded her of what happened", she sighed "let's go get everything so we can get back to the lab and I can talk to her" she said and they all nodded, collecting the videos and heading back down to the crime scene.

XOXOXO

Livie ran blindly, her terror taking her over as the memories came flooding back;

_Standing on the docks, wrists bound staring at the barrel of a gun pointing straight at her mother "try anything little Beckett and it will be mommy Beckett that gets hurt too" the man said, nodding and then staring in horror as he suddenly swung the gun up and round to face me "and to make sure mommy Beckett does nothing" he smiled "sorry kiddo this may hurt a bit" then pain._

She gave a little cry of terror and ran out, she shot passed the crime scene ignoring everyone calling out to her and she ran, she didn't look where she was going, she barely heard the cars screeching to a stop to avoid hitting her, she could barely see through her tears which filled her eyes, eventually she managed to stop and she ran down an ally gasping and sobbing at the memories that overcame her, she leaned against the wall gasping then she staggered backwards until she was leaning against the other wall and then she sank to the floor shivering and gasping, then she felt her phone vibrate and she saw Alexis was calling her, she declined the call throwing her phone down next to her gasping placing her head in her hands, crying hard as the memories hit her again;

_I could see my mother, running towards me, she knocked me clear of a knife that was heading towards me again, I saw her eyes widen in pain as we both fell to the ground, I staggered to my feet once again but my mom didn't move, there was a huge red stain spreading across the side of her top, I could hear myself crying out to her and another voice to the side of me crying out 'Kate', our attacker was now moving towards her, raising the knife now stained in my mom's blood, I saw my mom roll over hand holding her side and she began to wiggle away gasping in pain._

_I didn't want anything to happen to her so I stepped in front of her crying out to the attacker 'no you said that if I did as I was told you wouldn't hurt her' he grinned almost delightedly at me 'really did I say that' he leered 'well I lied sorry' I heard my mother gasp out to me 'Livie run' but I couldn't just leave her, she was my mother, I remained where I was keeping my wrists bound together raised defensively, our assailant laughed and said 'very well, you can die first'._

_My mother screamed 'NO' at the top of her voice as he almost threw himself at me, the knife came down towards me but I caught hold of it to my surprise, I fought to keep hold of it but he pushed me backwards, until I felt the edge of the docks behind me, I felt him push me again and I staggered and stumbled trying to keep my footing, he kept hold of me preventing me from falling, forcing me to stare into his cold merciless eyes, 'such a brave child' he snarled at me, he gave me another push so that only the tips of my toes were on the edge of the pier, 'pity it didn't get you anything' he then shouted and I saw the knife plunge into my stomach, I gasped as I felt it slide through me, looking down I could see the hilt of the knife protruding from my belly, blood pooling out from either side of the blade, I looked back into his eyes now full of delight 'bye' he whispered and then I felt him release me and I fell into the churning waters below._

Livie rocked backwards and forwards trying to comfort her self, crying uncontrollably "I can't do this" she sobbed to herself, hiding her eyes from the world as she rocked backwards and forwards again, she could feel something in her pocket and she pulled it out to see the little card with a name and number on it, a name with a number that could help her.

Still trembling she picked up her phone and with shaking hands she dialled the number and held the phone to her ear in trembling hands.

XOXOXO

Sweets looked up as his phone rang, he looked at the number, he didn't recognise it, so he picked it up and answered it "Lance Sweets"

"Sweets" came a small frightened voice, "its Livie" he frowned "hey Livie are you ok" he could hear her shivering uncontrollably "no" she whispered but it came out in a strangled sob "no, I'm not ok" he stood up "shh its ok" he said comfortingly "its ok I promise, now take deep breaths, long and deep" slowly he heard her breathing slow after a few minutes of talking soothingly to her and when she spoke again her voice was steadier "ok" she whispered "good girl now do you want tell me what happened" she didn't answer at first then she said quietly "I had another flashback, at a crime scene and I ran" he frowned "You ran, where are you now"

"I don't know" she whispered "I don't know where I am" "ok" he said "stay calm can you see a street sign, I will come and get you" he heard her shift "I am in an ally on the corner of M Street South East" "ok" he said grabbing his keys "I will be there as soon as I can I want you to stay calm ok" "ok" she whispered.

He hung up and hurried down to his car offering no explanation to anyone who asked where he was going, he just got in his car and headed down towards M Street.

XOXOXO

Livie sank back to the floor after telling Sweets where she was, she rested her head in her hands and carried on crying hitting decline at every phone call that came through to her, she was scared and right now, she wanted to be alone, she didn't totally understand why she had called Sweets, maybe because the last time she had seen a psychologist in New York it had really helped and he wasn't too connected to the team.

She heard footsteps and then someone crouched down next to her "hey Livie" Sweets said softly, she didn't look at him she just kept her head in her hands "why" she whispered "why do they keep coming back to me" "I don't know kiddo" he said "but give it time they will go away", she looked at him "it has been a year" she said "a whole year since I was taken, I think that has been long enough, I want them to stop, make them stop"

Sweets looked at her "come on" he said "let's get you to my office, we will talk there ok, get you out of the rain" Livie hadn't noticed the rain that had come pouring down on her, slowly she nodded and got to her feet realising she was soaked through, she followed Sweets back to his car and climbed slowly in, he turned the heating on full blast and then he drove hurriedly back to his office.

He steered her into the FBI building through security saying she was with him and up to his office past Caroline Julian who looked at him sceptically, he just ignored her, he gently steered Livie over to his sofa and sat her down before fetching a blanket and wrapping it around her as she sat there shivering slightly, then he sat down opposite her and studied her, a traumatised 14 year old girl who had seen more violence and pain than anyone should at that age, life was unfair for her.

She looked at him "I want them to stop" she said "how do I make them stop" he sighed "Livie you can't make this stop, you have to let it go away at its own speed, it is you healing, and you can only heal at a certain speed" "well I want to heal faster" she said "how do I do that" "Livie I can't make you heal faster" he said "everyone is different, you are who you are"

"Well I want to be more than who I am" she said desperately, he sighed and looked at her "why did you run Livie" he asked, she looked at him, "what" "why did you run away from the crime scene", she frowned "because everywhere I looked I could see a gun pointing at me, every sound I heard were 3 gunshots, and everything I felt was three bullets burying themselves into me and pain and fear, I had to get out of there, I needed space, and I didn't want everyone to see me like that, I mean I hate it when I see the pain in my mom's eyes every time she has to wake me up from a nightmare, I don't want everyone else to have to see me like that, I don't want their sympathy"

Sweets looked at her "let's talk about something else" he suggested "what do you like to do back home in your spare time" she gave him a small smile "I like to ride" she said softly, he nodded "do you have a favourite horse", instantly he knew he had hit gold as her smile widened and her eyes lit up and she visible relaxed "yeah" she said "yeah, Rick bought her for me for my birthday last year, her name is Skye, she is beautiful, I love her so much" Sweets smiled "tell me about her" he said settling down to listen.

She told him of how Skye had brought back all her memories after she had been taken, how she had sat on that horse's back and let her carry her down the road to recovery, how she had ridden round a few laps before pointing her at a fence and the moment she had taken off, she was free, all the walls blocking her memories had disappeared as she had leapt over them.

Skye had been there for her, now she always would be, she told him of how she loved to go out riding with either Alexis and her mom or her two friends Megan and Laura, how she loved to ride bareback and she was working on her jumping bareback, how they had gone into a competition not long after her mom had married Rick and they had won it.

By the time she had finished her eyes were shining and she was relaxed, then as she stopped everything flooded back to her and she visible drooped, "that worked for a while" she mumbled, he gave her a sympathetic smile before he sighed and looked at her, her phone rang again but she just pressed decline and stared around the room, he stood "come on" he said helping her to her feet, "let's go" and he carefully led her back out to his car saying "tell me about that competition, were you nervous, I bet it took a while to prepare".

XOXOXO

Kate followed the rest of the team back into the Jeffersonion and instantly looked around, Livie was nowhere in sighed "hey boss" Tony called from Angela's office where he was sitting next to Ziva on the sofa, Tali was on his lap and she was giggling as he tickled her "did you find out who the victim Owen Marks was speaking too" Gibbs asked as they all headed over and Booth handed Angela the videos "yeah Abby traced the call to a Petty Officer and we went to speak to him, he was pretty frightened, told us they had been discussing his bachelor party" he gave a small smile "the irony of him saying that it was going to be a blast right before he heard a gunshot" everyone smiled dryly "but he said he didn't hear anything else" Ziva added "that was the last he heard" everyone thought, then Tali said "hey where's Livie"

Kate's head snapped up "what do you mean where is she" she demanded "she is meant to be here, she said she would come right back here" they all looked at Angela, she shook her head "no she hasn't come back here" she said "I have been here all day I would have seen her" "oh god" Kate muttered pulling out her phone and she called her daughter, it went straight to voice mail "Livie honey, where are you, you said you would go back to the Jeffersonion, but you didn't, where are you call me now, I am really worried honey please call me" she hung up breathing hard, and she began to pace.

Rick caught hold of her "hey" he said "she is going to be fine Kate" she didn't listen to him she continued to breath hard "hey" he said squeezing her shoulders "look at me Kate", slowly she did and stared into his blue eyes and instantly she felt calmer "she is going to be fine" he said softly "I promise Kate we will find her"

An hour later and there was still no Livie and Kate was beginning to panic so Booth pulled out his phone to call the local PD units and ask if a girl matching Livie's description had been spotted anywhere, Alexis moved forward and hugged Kate who was tense, Kate clung to the older girl, holding her tight as she waited

"um" said Tony suddenly "Booth no need to call in some uniforms to hunt for her" Booth looked at him from where he was on the phone "found her" Tony said nodding towards the doors, they all turned to see her come stumbling in as the doors slid open, she was soaking wet and shivering, her arms were wrapped around her small frame which shook, Sweets came in behind her looking around.

"Livie" Kate breathed and ran out of the office towards her daughter, Livie looked up at the sound of her approaching, and then stumbled forward into her mother's arms, Kate clung to her tightly stroking her hair lovingly as she clung to her daughter, everyone else moved out too, Alexis ran forward relief written across her face, Kate pulled away to look at her daughter "what happened" she exclaimed "I was so worried", Livie smiled sheepishly "I got lost" she mumbled "and I called Sweets to come pick me up", Kate looked at the young psychologist and nodded gratefully, he smiled and nodded back at her.

"Come on" April said "there is a spare change of clothes of mine in mom's office that you can borrow before you catch the death of a cold" Livie smiled weakly and then still shivering she stumbled off after April with Tali and Alexis right behind them. Everyone instantly looked at Sweets who looked from face to face "what" he said.

"What happened" Rick asked, Sweets sighed "well I gave her my card the last time I saw her, and said she could call me if she ever needed my and then a couple of hours ago I get a call from her, she is crying her eyes out sobbing and near to hyperventilating, I eventually manage to get her to calm down and she tells me that she had another flashback at the crime scene and she ran, she told me where she was and I picked her up and took her back to my office and we talked for a bit then once she had calmed down I brought her back here"

"thank you" Kate said, she looked at him "what did you talk about" she asked, he hesitated "Sweets" Booth warned "tell her, none of your confidentiality crap", Sweets sighed "she told me how it has been a year since she was kidnapped, and how she is sick of the flashbacks, she wants them to go away, I told her that they would go away eventually, but for now they are a part of her and quote on quote she said 'well I want to be more than who I am" he looked at them sadly, "she is just upset, and I don't blame her, she has just met two girls who have been through a similar trauma to her and gotten over it easily, she feels uncertain by the fact that she hasn't yet"

Everyone was silent "emotionally though I am not surprised" he said "I told her this but April has been here since she was tiny, she knew all about the evils of the world from a very young age, and from what I have gathered" he looked at Tony and Ziva "Tali has been coming to NCIS for a long time too, she is like April, she knows too, Livie" he looked at Kate, "you kept her apart from the horrors of the world to protect her and it was the right thing to do, not saying it was wrong of you to introduce it to them" he said to Tony, Ziva, Brennan, and Booth "it just meant that when it did come and hit her in the face, it sent her flying, she was unprepared"

Kate nodded silently "I understand" she said "what can I do" she asked, he gave her a small smile "not much, she needs to get over the trauma on her own, you can just support her, though when she has a flashback, ask her about Skye", Kate and Rick looked at him "How do you know about Skye" Kate asked, "whose Skye" Ziva asked confused "she told me" Sweets said "calmed her right down to talk about her" Kate looked at everyone else "Skye is Livie's horse, Rick bought her for her" she explained, they all nodded happy to understand.

"let's turn in for the night" Booth suggested "tomorrow, we start again running down more leads and I think we will all be a bit more awake because I think we are all a bit tired" everyone nodded, Ziva and Brennan headed off to fetch their youngest children whilst Kate and the others headed over to the girls, Livie was standing in some dry clothes talking quietly to April, Tali and Alexis, she was quiet but there was a happy smile on her face, they all leapt up as they saw their parents. "Hey" Booth said "ready to come home bud" April grinned and nodded and they all began to gather their things.

They heard giggling and looked over as Ziva and Brennan reappeared, Libby instantly ran to her daddy who picked her up whilst Tony moved towards Ziva "hey little guy" he cooed "did you annoy the carers today" Ziva smiled as she bounced AJ on her hip "actually they said he was as good as gold and they didn't understand why I warned them", Tony looked at his son giggling in his arms "seriously" he said "what are you only naughty for us at the moment" Aiden giggled and grabbed a handful of his daddy's hair making him yelp and everyone else laugh.

They all headed out on their separate ways and headed back to their homes, when they arrived at the hotel though Kate hung back "I'll catch up" she said and moved into the lobby and sat down pulling out her phone and dialling the well-used number "hey Lanie" she said softly.

Her best friend instantly sounded worried "Kate hey how are you, oh my gosh I can't believe it, how are you" Kate smiled "I am hanging on Lanie, how are you" she asked "pissed at you for making me have to hear this from the boys" she said "nah just kidding, not bad, me and Javi are going out to dinner later tonight" Kate smiled "have fun with that" she said, Lanie must have picked up that something was wrong "hey Kate what's wrong"

It all came flooding out, her fears over the case, her worries about Livie and her amazement about the three girls, that even shocked Lanie and it took a lot to shock the coroner who had seen nearly every cause of death possible. "what all three of them" she said "they have exactly the same past" "yeah worse than Livie for Tali, the youngest, you should see her Lanie, she is deadly, her fighting is unbeatable, she is a deadly assassin when she fights, yet when she isn't and she is just normal, she is the sweetest little girl ever, I can't believe what happened to her, how anyone could hurt her, she was 12 the first time she was shot"

"god poor kid" Lanie said, Kate sighed "thanks Lanie I guess I just needed to safely vent" "no problem girl, call anytime, say hi to the girls and writer boy for me" Kate smiled "will do say hi to the boys for me and make sure you and Javi have fun tonight" "thanks Kate, talk soon yeah" "yeah" Kate agreed and she hung up feeling slightly better.

She headed up to her room and carefully slipped in "hey" Rick said closing his laptop "how's Lanie" she looked at him "how did you know" she asked, he smiled at her "because she is your best friend" she smiled at him "she is good off out to dinner with 'Javi" she said quoting Esposito's nickname affectionately given to him by his girlfriend, Rick smiled, "they are pretty cute together you have to admit" he said, Kate nodded "well that is what they said about us" she said crawling onto the bed next to him "and they were right" he said happily "the four of us do make a great family" Kate smiled and hugged him "that we do" she whispered.

XOXOXO

Alexis looked at Livie lying curled up on the bed fingering her bracelet "hey Livs" she said softly rising from her bed and moving over to her "what is wrong honey", Livie looked at her "nothing is wrong Lexie I am better now I promise" Alexis looked at her as she sat down, she placed her hand on her sister's hip "so you are not trying to delay falling asleep" Livie looked up at her "no" she said, Alexis looked at her before lying down next to her and pulling her closer and tickling her stomach making her squeal "you sure about that little sis" she asked tickling her again making her giggle and kick out laughing loudly.

They continued before Livie managed to wriggle away and then she dived at Alexis making her let out a shriek as it was her turn to be tickled, the two of them rolled around together laughing madly until the door burst open and their parents came rushing in.

Kate stared at their daughters lying tangled amongst the sheets and on top of each other, they both looked up and grinned at them "hi" they both chorused together "what on earth are you doing" Rick exclaimed "you nearly gave us a heart attack, we thought you had decided that only one of you was leaving DC alive and you were going to fight to the death to see who it was" Livie laughed as they untangled themselves from each other "nah just bonding" she said, Rick shook his head "you and I have different ideas of what bonding should be" he said and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kate saw both girls glance at each other and grinned "I think you are about to experience their way Rick" she said with a smile "huh" he said then he yelped as they both tackled him pulling him backwards onto the bed and leaping on top of him laughing loudly, he grabbed Livie pulling her into his arms tickling her madly as she wriggled and gasped, giggling happily, Kate stood there laughing until they all sat up and looked at her "oh no" she said as they all stood "don't even think about it" she warned backing away as Rick moved towards her grinning "no way" she squealed and bolted out of the room down the hall.

She didn't get very far before she felt Rick's arms wrap around her waist, she squealed again as he lifted her throwing her over his shoulder "Rick you had better put me down" she said giggling thumping him on the back "shall I girls" he asked "nah" they said as he carried her into their room "traitors" she growled at them as they followed them back in shutting the door behind them.

She was deposited on the bed but before she could do anything Livie and Alexis launched towards her and they began to tickle her mercilessly "hey I thought us girls stuck together" she yelped laughing "that is a fair point" Livie said and before he knew it Rick had all three of them tickling him mercilessly.

Eventually they stopped and just lay there breathing hard, Livie rested her head on Kate's stomach and Kate played with her hair gently as she leaned against Rick who had one arm around her, the other round Alexis. They lay there happily together for a long while none of them felt like moving, Kate looked down at Livie who had her eyes closed, glancing over she saw that Rick had his eyes closed too, Alexis was grinning at him, she grinned at Kate before closing her eyes too, smiling Kate looked down at Livie, she looked so relaxed, but she knew that the terror was still there and would be there for a long while, all they had to do was keep it under control, but how long could they do that for before it went out of control?

**Hope you enjoyed it, I would love some more reviews.**

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	7. Chapter 6

**Hi thanks for all the reviews, would love some more. Thanks to Jisbonforever for all your help writing this**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 6

Tony shut the car and walked up the path with Ziva at his side "you know" he said "how about a change of scenery I mean the Jeffersonion is pretty awesome don't you think, ya thing we could persuade Gibbs to move the team there" Ziva looked at him "no I do not think either you or I could do that" she said "I wasn't saying we would ask, I was going to say Tali would, he does anything for her, that way she can see her new friends more" Ziva smiled "NCIS is fine Tony" she said "besides as soon as this case is over I am sure Livie and her family will be heading back to New York" "ah that is where the wonderful thing called the internet comes into effect" Tony said as they arrived at the front door to the house and he rang the doorbell "those girls will be able to stay in contact for the rest of their lives if they want too"

Ziva smiled and then peered at the window "Tony" she said softly, he followed her gaze and in the reflection of the window he saw something glinting, instantly they dropped to the floor as a shot rang out and there was a yell from inside as the window smashed showering them with glass, Tony peered in before yelping and kicking down the door "call for an ambulance" he shouted throwing himself down next to their suspect who had just become their next victim, already dead.

"Tony" Ziva shouted as they heard a screech of tyres "no Zee" he shouted but she was already running after the van that pulled away "Ziva" he shouted but she ignored him, cursing he leapt up and took off after her, sprinting as fast as he could, another gunshot rang out as the driver pointed a hand gun out of the widow and fired at Ziva who ducked then she yanked out her gun took aim and fired twice, she shot the tyre and the van skidded before crashing.

They both ran towards it guns at the ready pressing themselves against the body before pointing their guns into the cab, but he was gone and so was his gun. "Well" Tony said as he pulled out his phone "the good news is we eliminated one suspect" Ziva looked at him "the bad news is we now have no suspects" she said.

XOXOXO

Kate clambered out of the car they had decided to rent whilst they were here and looked around, McGee and Booth were collecting statements, Tony and Ziva were talking to Gibbs next to the crashed van, Kate sighed and headed into the house where Brennan was talking to an elderly man who was chatting away excitedly to her, Rick came up behind her "whose that" he asked, "do I look psychic to you" she murmured back.

"That" Gibbs said coming up behind them and making them jump "is our medical examiner Dr Donald Mallard but everyone calls him Ducky", he looked up "ah nice to meet you" he said standing and coming forward to greet him, Kate recognised him vaguely from the first crime scene, she smiled and greeted him back "yes I have heard a great deal about you from Gibbs and a lot about your daughter's from little Tali"

"don't let Tali hear you call her little" Tony said as he entered the house "seriously if looks could kill" they all smiled "anyhow what I can gather from the victims here fits in with Tony and Ziva's story" Ducky said "not much more I can get from this" he said "Mr Palmer will you fetch the gurney" his young assistant leapt up and headed off to the van.

Kate studied the victim, not long ago he had been their suspect, they had gone through their previous victim from the docks phone list and ran bank checks on all his more recent calls, this man had withdrawn a substantial amount two days before their victim had died, looking like a possible payment to their contract killer. She sighed and moved into the living room looking round trying to get a feel for their victim, she found Booth in the study checking the desk; he nodded in greeting, before returning to his work, she began to study the bookshelves.

It had been two days since the Petty officer had died on the docks, two days they had been working flat out trying desperately to catch this guy, Livie had recovered from her panic and she, April, Alexis and Tali were out exploring the sites of DC today, trying to make the most of the nice weather that had suddenly appeared. As for the case, it had been hard, they had to be cautious about what they did so as not to alert the media to what was happening and cause a mass panic in the city, they had struggled to find any reason why they're Petty Officer might have been wanted dead, everyone they spoke to loved him, so they had looked at banks records which had led them to this guy, who was now dead.

Booth sighed and straightened up "desk is clear" he said "I'll get his computer for Angela or McGee to go over" Kate nodded "nothing suspicious here" she said softly before turning to him "do you think Tony and Ziva were followed" she asked "do you think that is why this man was targeted" Booth sighed "I don't know Kate" he said "I really don't know" she nodded and headed back out as Ducky and his assistant Palmer finished loading the body onto the gurney and took it out to their van "bye autopsy gremlin" Tony called to Palmer "go back to your cave now" he received two slaps over the back of his head making him yelp "hey Ziva why'd you do that, boss man is the only one allowed to head slap up" Ziva narrowed her eyes at him "you really need to stop bullying Palmer" she said, he grinned at her "but it fun" he said in a childish voice, she rolled her eyes "as is head slapping you" she said doing it again making him yelp again.

Kate moved out to the van outside where McGee was photographing it, Rick was watching from a safe distance frowning "you ok" she asked moving over to him, he nodded "just trying to figure this guy out" he said "none of this makes sense, worst plot line to a story ever, none of it fits together except for the MO" she looked at him "if this was your story what would you write next" she asked, everyone looked up as Rick frowned "I don't know" he said "every scenario I write in my head feels totally wrong, this isn't normal, there is no pattern" she sighed and touched him on the arm, "let's get back to the lab" she said

XOXOXO

Everyone headed as usual to Angela's office which had become their meeting point, they all sat down in the chairs and on the sofa's which had doubled in numbers since they had all arrived, they all settled down until Booth entered and handed Angela the victim's computer "McGee you can help her with that" Gibbs said and his youngest agent nodded and moved over to Angela's desk to start downloading the files, Booth moved over to Kate's whiteboard and began to write up the new victim's information then he sighed and turned to face them all "this is victim number 7, 8 if you include you Kate" he said, Kate nodded "at first it wasn't very often but since Kate was shot the killings have been getting closer and closer together" he said and drew a line across the bottom of the board then he slowly wrote down the names of their victims at various intervals along the lines but those intervals got smaller as the time between each victim did.

"he's getting braver" Booth said "I mean he took one of his victims out in front of two armed agents, now he is playing with us" everyone sat in stony silence, Booth sighed "ok, um let's just go over everything again adding in our new victim", and so they did, over and over again before Brennan excused herself and headed off to the platform to try and find something in the bones.

It was an hour later when the four girls returned happy after their day of sightseeing, though their smiles slipped when they heard that there had been another victim, they could see how their parents were getting more and more stressed, and they all felt worried but hid to from their families.

Livie moved over to where her mom sat trying to absorb all the information on the many whiteboards lined up side by side "mom" she said softly, her mom didn't answer, she was too busy frowning at the boards "mom" she tried again, her mom sighed "what Livie" she said more harshly than was needed, Livie frowned "mom everyone is leaving, we need to go now" Kate looked over and saw the hurt in her daughter's eyes "Livie I am sorry, I didn't mean to speak like that to you, I am just…" "Stressed" Livie finished for her "yeah I know, we all are, you just need to come back to the rooms and forget about it for the evening and relax, you are more wound up than a coiled spring, you need to loosen up".

Kate looked at her daughter and sighed before she nodded standing and moving over to get her stuff, as she bent she felt Livie's arms wrap around her "don't worry mom" she said softly "we'll catch him I promise" Kate smiled and twisted in her daughters embrace so that she could hug her back, "I know" she said softly kissing the top of Livie's head.

They exited the office locking it behind them, the only ones allowed in that room now were their team members, everyone was getting their things together, Tali had AJ in her arms and she was dancing around with him making him shriek with laughter and Brennan was helping Libby into her coat and the toddler was chatting away excitedly to her mommy about her day.

They all said their goodbyes and headed out of the lab and to their cars, Kate tried to relax as they got further and further away from the Jeffersonion, but it was hard, she wanted to stop this guy before he took another life, she wanted him dead.

XOXOXO

Tony opened the door allowing Tali to enter first to greet the excited Brodie who leapt up at her eagerly making her laugh "I'll take him out" she said reaching for his lead and attaching it to his collar, then she grabbed a ball thrower and slipped back out after the excited young dog, "I'll go too" Tony decided and followed his daughter out the house.

Ziva entered with AJ who was beginning to grumble asking for his food so she headed over to the kitchen to prepare his dinner, she carefully warmed up the baby food and tested it before she turned back to AJ who was shouting in anticipation of his dinner, she sat down and offered him a spoonful, instantly he shut up and began to eagerly eat mumbling in delight making Ziva smile as she fed him.

Whilst her husband and daughter were out she spent some quality time with her son, giving him a bath allowing him to splash water everywhere, then she dressed him in his pyjamas and took him into the living room where she lay down on the sofa balancing him on her chest and tickling his toes making him giggle, she smiled as she played with him bouncing him until he began to rub his eyes and yawn, then with a smile she stood up and carried him into his room and lay him down in his crib humming gently until his breathing had slowed to a gentle rhythmic movement and he relaxed, then she covered him with the blanket and slipped out of the room closing the door carefully behind her.

She moved back into the living room tidying up a bit, they had eaten a big meal at lunch so she didn't need to cook. It wasn't long before Tali and Tony came back with an exhausted Brodie, who had run ragged after balls until he could barely stand, indeed he stumbled to his water bowl and took a long drink before collapsing on his bed not to be heard from again that evening.

Tali grinned at her mom and hugged her before heading off to her room for the night and Tony and Ziva followed suit lying together in their bed quietly before Tony said "we'll catch this guy wont we Ziva" she looked at him "of course" she said "we always do" he nodded "but how many people have to die before we do Zee, how many lives will he take before we finally manage to figure out who he is and find him" she looked at him "I don't know" she said "but for every life lost more will be saved" he sighed and kissed her head "yeah I suppose you are right" he said softly, she smiled and lay her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

But they didn't fall asleep, they lay awake, thinking and wondering, where the killer was now, and who was their oblivious next victim.

XOXOXO

April grinned at Libby as she lifted her out the bath wrapping a towel around her and draining the bath tub. "April" Libby asked pulling the towel tighter around her and beginning to dry herself "mm" April said as she collected up all the toys and placed them in the box "why are mommy and daddy working with all those new people, Tony and Ziva and Gibbs and Kate and Rick" she asked, April smiled weakly at her as she pulled her into her arms and rubbed her tiny body down "because they are trying to catch a bad guy Libs"

The four year old looked at her "but they don't usually work with them" she said "they usually just work with Auntie Angela, Auntie Cam and Uncle Hodgins" "well this is just a one off" April said "they wanted to help" Libby nodded, "do you like Livie and Tali" she asked "yeah of course I do" April said "they are my friends" Libby smiled "I like Lexie" she said referring to Alexis "she's nice" "yeah she is" April said "come on time to get ready for bed" she lifted her four year old foster sister up into her arms and carried her across the hall into her bedroom, she set her down and handed her some pyjamas, Libby dropped the towel and carefully pulled them on, "can I have a story" she asked as she scrambled into her bed, April smiled and nodded "just one though" she said "it is late, which one" Libby selected her favourite one and cuddled up against April's chest to listen.

April allowed herself to get lost in the innocence of the child's book where the worst thing that could happen was that someone could steal the last slice of cake, 'if only' she thought sadly as she closed the book and placed it on the bookshelves, she sat back down on the edge of Libby's bed and gently pulled the bed covers up over her little sister and she handed Libby her favourite bunny and watched her hug it against her chest, she leaned down and gently kissed her forehead "April" Libby asked sleepily "yeah kiddo" April said looking down at her "are you and Tali and Livie going to be friends all the time and see them all the time"

April smiled and stroked Libby's damp hair gently "of course we will stay friends Libby but Livie and Alexis and their family are going back to New York when this case is over" "why can't they stay here" Libby asked confused "because they live in New York sweetheart, they are only here to help catch the bad guy", she smiled "now time for you to sleep" she said touching her cheek before she stood and turned on the night light, and scooped up the wet towel from the floor before heading to the door.

"April" Libby called; she turned to look at her one hand resting on the light switch "yeah" Libby looked at her with innocent blue eyes "why do people do bad things" she asked, April sighed "I think that is a question everyone wants to know the answer to Libby" she gave her a small smile "now night night, don't let the bed bugs bite little monkey" "night" Libby said sleepily and closed her eyes, April switched off the light and closed the door.

She put the towel in the washing basket before heading into her room, she sat at her desk and opened her laptop, checking emails before sighing and leaning back in her chair, her gaze fell a picture of her and her family, not long after they had adopted Libby, they were all grinning happily at the camera, their first family photo after the incident. That made her think, and she crossed over to her chest of drawers and lifted up a pile of her clothes and pulled out the little blue book that lay hidden under all the clothes, she crossed back to her desk and opened it, reading the entries that she had written, when she had taken solace in that little book, then she sighed and picked up her pen, she didn't bother with the date or 'dear diary' she just started writing;

_Things are weird again, but not in a bad way, in a good way I guess so I don't really know why I am writing, I mean I haven't written in this since I got back with my family, I haven't needed too. _

_I met two girls who are very much like me, so like me it is unbelievable, in more ways than one. Their parents are all Homicide detectives like mine, and they each belong to a team, and in each team there is a writer, how weird. But the main similarity is our haunting pasts._

_I thought I would never find anyone like me, who would understand what I have been through, who would truly know what I have felt, but I have, Livie and Tali have been through it, they know the pain I have felt, they know the feeling of having the life drain out of you and the bite of a bullet as it buries itself inside of you, they know it all. _

_Tali is the youngest, she is only 13, and I can't believe how much she has been through, kidnapped twice at age 12 and then again not long after her 13th birthday, this time by her own grandfather, she has faced so much, more than me, yet she is so in control, she is amazing, she is like some kind of superwoman, she can hide it but you can see her struggles, every day is a struggle for her, just to get out of bed in the mornings sometimes, just like me._

_But it is worse for Livie, Tali and I we grew up around our parents, at their work and we knew about it, Livie's mom kept her apart from it all to protect her, so she was unprepared for it, it came at her harder, she still hasn't recovered, she is so quiet and just as wary as Tali, who is always alert for danger, but that is because of her training. Livie has it the hardest I think, it has always been just her and her mom until she was taken, then her mom met Rick Castle and fell in love with him, then her mom was shot and Livie nearly lost the one person who has always been there for her, not long after being ripped away from her and being shot, stabbed, beaten and tortured within an inch of her sanity, she is terrified of it happening again, and who can blame her._

_For her every day is a battle not to lose it, she is still recovering and any little thing can spark a hidden memory and make it come at her and hit her in the face, we were out today and there was a loud bang as a car backfired and she nearly leapt out of her skin, her eyes went wide and she was trembling but Alexis just wrapped her in her arms and comforted her until she calmed down, she was on edge for a while after that, we could all see it but we didn't say anything._

_They are lovely girls, both of them, and I am glad we get along, but the thing that really holds us together is out pasts, we are all desperate to know that we are not alone in our fears, to know that someone else feels how we feel, so when we found each other, we instantly became close, because we understand each other._

_I have always stated that our past is our past and although it takes part in forming us it does not define our futures, what we do here and now is what makes us who we are today, but if our pasts hadn't happened would the three of us met? Would we have gotten on as well as we do? I don't know._

_Mom and dad are really on edge at the moment, this case it is winding everyone up, especially Kate, and Livie is worried for her mom everyone can see that, I just hope that this case is solved quickly, before it breaks our bonds, our family ties. The last thing we need is for us to start rowing._

_Xx_

April looked at what she had written, then she sighed and closed the book, replacing it in its hiding spot, then she heard a knock and saw her dad standing in the doorway "hey" he said "thanks for putting Libby to bed" April smiled "no problem" she said gently, he looked at her "you ok" he asked, she nodded "I'm great" she said with a smile, he smiled back at her "want some hot chocolate" he asked "just put the kettle on" she grinned "sounds nice" she said and followed him out the door and down the stairs, she studied him "dad" she said, he looked at her "you're gonna get this guy" she said "I know it" he smiled at her and pulled her into his arms "I know bud, I know" he said softly kissing her forehead before saying quietly so that she could not hear "I hope you're right"

XOXOXO

The next morning Booth was woken by his phone ringing, he groaned "yeah" he mumbled groggily as he felt Brennan stir beside him "this is dispatch" came a professional voice "I was asked to call you and your team Agent Booth, there has been a shooting which apparently is linked to a case you are looking at" Booth groaned "yep ok where" he asked reaching for the pen and paper that he kept on his bedside table and he jotted down the address "thanks" he said and shut the phone, Brennan rolled over to face him "we have another one" she said sadly, he nodded, "I'll call the others" he said "you wanna wake the girls" he sighed, she nodded and slipped out of bed as he picked up his phone again and called Tony.

To his surprise it was Tali who picked up "hello Booth" she said "hello Tali what are you doing up so early" he asked in surprise "I go out running at 0500 every morning" she said simply and he winced "that doesn't sound like fun" she laughed gently "it's ok when you are used to it, but it helps me so I do it, and why are you up so early" she asked, he hesitated before remembering she wasn't your average 13 year old "um we have another case" "Oh" she said sadly "here is ima"

Before he could ask what 'ima' was Ziva came on the phone and by the sounds of it she had a hungry baby with her "morning Booth" she said "um morning Ziva, um quick question what is 'ima' Tali just said it" he asked, he heard her laugh softly "ima is Hebrew for mother" "ah ok thanks" he said "anyway I called to say we have another body" "Oh" she said "where" he told her the location "make sure you sort out AJ first though" he said "take your time" "thanks" she said "I will wake Tony up since he is the only one not up, will see you soon then, oh and I will call Gibbs and McGee for you" "ok thanks" he said and the call ended.

Next he called Kate and she picked up her own phone "Booth" she mumbled groggily "ah good someone who isn't crazy enough to be up at this hour" he said "mm well I am now" she said, he heard her climb out of bed and by the sounds of it go onto a balcony "who is crazy enough to be up at this hour" she asked "Tali and Ziva" he said "Tali was going running and Ziva had a hungry baby" she laughed gently "I remember those days" he smiled and moved over to the wardrobe "me too, anyway I just got a call from dispatch" she sighed "another victim" "yep" he said and he told her the location "ok" she said "will meet you there" "yep see you" he said and closed his phone.

Quickly getting dressed before heading down the stairs where he was relieved to see a cup of coffee waiting for him, April and Brennan each held one two, Libby had fallen asleep again on the sofa. They got ready in silence before Booth picked Libby up and carried her out to the car with April trudging along behind him and Brennan behind her, it was way too early for this, he decided.

XOXOXO

As Ziva closed the phone she looked at Tali "I guess no running this morning" she said, she shook her head "sorry tateleh" she said softly and Tali smiled gently "no worries" she said "here I will take AJ whilst you get ready and get dad up" Ziva smiled and handed Tali her brother who gurgled and reached for her ponytail which Tali expertly tossed out the way and she carried him into her bedroom.

Ziva moved back into her own bedroom and shook Tony, he mumbled in his sleep "Tony" she said "up now" he opened one eye to look at her "too early" he whined "not when there has been another murder, now up" he opened both eyes "another one" he said "jeez this guy isn't leaving us any time between them now" "exactly" she said "now up I have to call Gibbs and McGee" "I'll call "McSleepy if you want" Tony said with a mumble, she nodded and handed him his phone and picked hers up, as she pressed the speed dial she heard Tony say "morning McGrumble"

"Ziva" Gibbs responded "you ok" "I am" she said "our newest victim is not, Booth called we have another", he sighed and asked for the location which she told him "I'll swing by and pick Tony up" he said "you take Tali and AJ to the Jeffersonion" "ok thank you Gibbs" she said and hung up, "Gibbs is picking you up" she told Tony as he hauled himself out of bed "I am taking Tali and AJ back to the Jeffersonion" he nodded as he pulled out some trousers and a shirt "why are murderers never considerate and let us get our sleep" he asked and she smiled "because that would mean that life was fair" she said with a smile "and we all know that it isn't" he rolled his eyes at her.

When they came out of their room Tali had a bag packed next to theirs and had dressed Aiden and was now kneeling on the floor holding him up as he wobbled around "come on AJ you need to stand soon" she coaxed, AJ just looked at her before sitting himself down and reaching for his toy, Tony laughed "what's the point" he asked "he must love getting carried everywhere and being presented with everything his little heart desires why bother learning walk, that just means he has to do everything himself" AJ laughed "yep I am right" Tony said scooping his son up "come on then my clever little man lets go to work shall we" Ziva looked at Tali who rolled her eyes and shrugged before picking up her bag and following her mom and dad down to the car.

Tony strapped AJ into his seat and then waved as they drove off, he didn't have to wait long before Gibbs' car came over and pulled up, he slid into the passenger seat with a yawn "wake up DiNozzo" Gibbs said "sorry boss" Tony said "AJ had us up twice in the night" "ah you knew what you were getting yourself into when you got Ziva pregnant again" Gibbs said as he drove off "yeah I thought I did" Tony said "boys are much more work than girls" Gibbs just laughed.

XOXOXO

Kate didn't go in right away, she just stood on the balcony of their hotel room watching the sun rising in the sky, she sighed, another murder, another life lost, all because they had not caught the SOB yet, she clenched her fists, she would catch him, no matter how long it took and she would make him suffer for all the lives he had destroyed and broken, including hers, her life had been perfect, she had a job she loved, a loving husband with a perfect stepdaughter and her own little girl had been pulling herself together again and beginning to smile the same smile she had seen when she was young.

Then she had received a bullet to the heart and her life had been shattered, and Livie had fallen a few steps back in her road to recovery, the flashbacks had returned and she was jumpy. Kate sighed and rested her head in her hands.

"Kate" she looked over to see Rick standing bare chested in the doorway to their room "you ok" he asked moving out and wrapping his arms around her, she leaned against his warm chest and nodded "yeah, but we have another case, I need to go to it" she looked at him "why don't you get a cab and take the girls to the lab" she suggested "might not be good for Livie to be at another crime scene" he nodded "good idea I will let them lie in a bit longer" she nodded, and they remained like that watching the sun rise before Kate sighed and slipped inside, Rick followed her inside watching her get ready sadly. She was getting frustrated he could see, this killer was too good, he left no connection and no evidence, he was way too good.

She headed out after giving him a kiss on the lips, he followed her into the girls room watching her with a small smile as she gave both of their sleeping daughters a kiss before heading out smiling weakly at him, he watched her until she was out of sighed before moving back into the hotel room to their daughters, he gently shook Alexis awake and quietly explained what had happened before moving over to Livie, he studied her before he woke her, she was curled up in a ball under the covers, defensive even in her sleep, but she looked peaceful, gently he leaned over and shook her making her wake with a start "hey" he whispered "sorry time to wake up" she blinked at him before looking at the clock "not another body" she whispered and he nodded sombrely, she sighed and nodded swinging her legs out of bed.

Once they were ready they went down and hired a cab stopping off to pick up vast quantities of food before heading to the lab.

XOXOXO

When they arrived no one was about except for a bleary eyed Hodgins and Angela who gratefully accepted the breakfast they offered, Livie and Alexis then wondered into Brennan's office where they found April lying on the sofa sleeping with Libby sprawled across her chest, Alexis smiled at Livie who smiled back, that was cute.

April mumbled and her eyelids fluttered open "huh more early risers" she said "Tali was here but she was full of energy and decided to go for a run round the grounds" Alexis and Livie both pulled faces "rather her than me" Livie said, April grinned "that is exactly what I said" she said, she stroked Libby's hair "tired" she asked, they both nodded so she gestured to the other sofa "make yourselves comfortable" she said with a yawn "might as well get some sleep at this hour", Alexis and Livie both curled up on the other sofa, and closed their eyes.

April looked at them, their relationship was similar to hers and Libby's, not blood related but that was a mere technicality to them, they adored each other and Alexis was very protective of her little sister, she was hugging her now, as they slept, their bodies cocooned together, she heard movement and saw Tali standing in the doorway, her hair wet "good run" April asked, Tali nodded "nice grounds" she said "I ran round them twice" April stared "you ran round the grounds twice in an hour" she nodded "sorry I thought you said run not sprint" April teased "where did you shower" she asked "decontamination showers" Tali said with a grin "good idea" April said "want to join the rest of us dozing" she offered shifting so that Tali could join her and Libby, she nodded and she too sprawled out.

That was how Rick found them 20 minutes later, sprawled across the two sofas dozing quietly; he couldn't resist taking a photo and sending it to all the parents, to show the unity of their teams through their children.

**Hope you enjoyed it, please let me know, the more reviews I get the faster I will update.**

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**Thanks, Mysticgirl**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi all thanks for those who have reviewed, much appreciated, would love some more people to let me know what they think pretty please**

**Anyway hope you like it**

Chapter 7

Kate stepped out of her car and felt the gentle bite of the wind, there were lights from the police cars flashing and she had to push to get through the crowds of people all craning their necks to see the body, she held up her badge at the tape and the officer eyed uncertain as it was NYPD "hey" said Gibbs suddenly appearing behind him "she is ok" the officer nodded and lifted the tape for her to duck under but she found her path blocked by Gibbs, she looked at him confused.

"Kate" he said softly "I don't think you need to see this one" she looked at him "Gibbs I have seen plenty of bodies what is so different about this one" she asked, he chewed his lip "it is the Petty Officer Owen Marks' 14 year old daughter Anna".

Kate felt her chest tighten and she gasped in shock, then she ducked round him and stared, Ducky was crouched next to the body of the young girl who was still in the position she had fallen in, legs bent curled underneath her, one hand resting gently on her stomach, the other raised above her head, she looked almost graceful, like a little ballerina, light brown hair almost artistically arranged around her head, she looked almost peaceful. Except for the hole in her chest and her stained shirt, and the fact that her eyes were wide open, staring unseeing up at Kate, slightly shocked, though she never knew what had hither, and her face was flecked with cast off blood, her face still full of pain from her father's death, at least now though they were together again.

Kate stared at her, she looked so young and vulnerable lying there, and her eyes, gentle brown eyes that stared blankly at Kate, eyes that reminded Kate of someone else, young and vulnerable. She staggered backwards gasping and felt someone catch her "easy Kate" she heard Tony murmur, "it's ok shh" "Livie" Kate gasped "no" Tony said pulling her away from the body "no it's not Livie Kate, she is ok I promise it is not her" he pulled her over to a car, ducking under the line to where Booth was standing looking pretty pissed, that was when she realised that they were the ones with girls the same age as Anna Marks, that was why they were out here.

Tony leaned her against Gibbs' car and she saw that his eyes were filled with pain too; this was their killer's youngest victim, a 14 year old girl, a 14 year old girl who had an uncanny resemblance to their own children, especially hers. "you ok" Tony asked, she shook her head "No, no I am not ok we have to catch this guy now" "I know" Tony said "and we will I promise" she looked at him before she looked away sighing "where's Ziva" she asked "she took the kids to the lab" Tony said "I am glad she did" "Bones did the same" Booth said quietly "I dropped her off, Rick take your girls" he asked, she nodded shakily looking back to the crime scene "why the hell would someone kill off a 14 year old girl" she asked in a whisper, they both shook their heads sadly.

Gibbs came over then the usual cup of coffee in his hands "you ok" he asked the three of them, they nodded blankly "McGee and I can take care of this" he said "and Hodgins just arrived so I want you three to go back to the lab ok" they all looked at him about to protest, then they saw the victim again, a life taken too soon and they nodded glumly.

At that moment their phones rang and they all pulled them out, Kate saw she had a picture message and she clicked on it and felt a small smile cross her face as she looked at the picture her husband had sent her, it showed all of their girls all lying sprawled across two sofas fast asleep pressed tightly against each other, Livie and Alexis lay sprawled across one their bodies cocooned together, Tali and April lay on the other one and April had an exhausted Libby on her chest. They were fine, they all were, sleeping soundly, unaware of the pain that their parents were feeling at this moment. She looked over at Booth and Tony and saw that they were smiling too and Tony turned his phone to show Gibbs, she saw that Rick had sent them the same image. Gibbs smiled at the image before looking at them "go see them" he said "go see for yourselves that they are safe".

"I'll drive you back" Booth said "McGee can bring yours back Kate" Gibbs said "I brought him and Tony here" she nodded numbly and followed Tony and Booth to Booth's SUV and clambered quietly into the back. The drive was silent, none of them spoke, not even when they had arrived and they walked into the lab, they all immediately turned and walked towards Brennan's office and just stood in the doorway staring at their sleeping children, feeling relief inside of them that it was not their child lying on a gurney to be transferred onto a slab.

"Tony" they all looked up as they saw Ziva coming over holding AJ with Rick and Brennan behind them, they all looked concerned, Tony moved forward and took AJ from Ziva hugging him tightly before pulling Ziva into his arms and holding her tightly, she glanced over confused but hugged him back just as tightly, Booth moved over to Brennan and sighed hugging her as Rick moved towards Kate, "hey" he said "what happened" he asked, she just leaned against him sighing as he held her, then she spoke softly so that they could all hear, "the victim was Anna Marks, Petty Officer Marks' 14 year old daughter", Rick exhaled loudly and she heard him curse under his breath before hugging her tightly "we got sent back" Tony mumbled "Gibbs didn't want us there", Ziva hugged him reassuringly.

Just then a small voice said "daddy" from behind and they all turned to see Libby standing in the doorway gazing up at her dad in confusion, behind her April and Tali were stirring obviously woken by her, and Livie was shifting too, Booth forced a smile onto his face "hey there sweetheart, did you have a good sleep" she nodded and moved over to him, he scooped her up and hugged her tightly, Brennan rested her hand on her youngest daughter's back, they looked at the others all sitting up groggy and messy haired, all awake now, they all looked at their parents in confusion "aba" Tali said softly looking at Tony, he gave her a weak smile "hey there princess" he said, slowly she clambered off the sofa and moved over to him, he handed AJ back to Ziva and lifted Tali up despite her size and wrapped her in his arms holding her tightly, she hugged him back just as tightly sensing his unease.

Kate felt arms wrap around her and saw Livie hugging her, she wrapped her arms around Livie holding her protectively, running her fingers again and again through her hair, then she looked up and released her with one hand holding it out to Alexis who came forward as April stumbled over to her mom and dad too, she felt Rick wrap his arms around her and their daughters holding them all close.

They all stood there before Libby yawned loudly "tired munchkin" Booth asked looking at her, she nodded "really" April said looking at her sister "because I think you got more sleep than I did kiddo you are a fidget" "speak for yourself" Tali said with a yawn her eyes glinting cheekily "oh look who is calling the kettle black" April mocked "ok, no fighting" Ziva said "don't decide to go for each other's necks" "_throats_" everyone corrected making her roll her eyes "that wasn't fighting ima" Tali said with a grin "that was playful banter" April nodded "those two sleep like rocks" she said nodding at Alexis and Livie who grinned at her.

"well" Rick said "I did bring food and if there is any left it might be slightly cold but it is better than nothing though the coffee is still warm" everyone nodded and they headed to the Angela's office, trying to act positive, though it was hard, knowing that their killer had upped his game and lowered his target age.

XOXOXO

Livie, April and Tali were sitting on the bench outside in the park the next day, they had left the lab, unable to cope with their parents being so stressed, everyone was on edge, they were in the park across the road from Tali's home, throwing balls for her dog Brodie, the mad young animal was sprinting across the field after the ball his eyes wide with delight, it was lunchtime the day after Anna Marks had been killed and everyone was dreading the phone call saying that there was another victim, fearing how old this one might be. Their parents hadn't gone home last night, so they had all pushed the sofa's together, found a pile of blankets and curled up together again along with Alexis and Libby, they had found an old travel cot for AJ though he was back at day care now and Alexis was playing with Libby in the play area a few feet away.

"Livie" April said softly, she looked at him "how you feeling" she asked, Livie shrugged "I feel fine, just worried that mom is getting in too deep again" Kate hadn't gone to sleep last night, she had sat up all night staring at the boards, ever since Anna had been discovered, she had barely stopped, Livie recognised the symptoms all too well, she was slipping again, this case was personal again, she was going in too deep and she was going to find this guy whether it killed her in the progress.

Tali smiled gently at her "your mom will be fine" she said encouragingly "they'll figure it out, our parents always do" she reached down and picked up the slobbered ball that Brodie presented her with "ew gross" she said sticking it in the ball thrower and launching it as far as she could watching the dog tear after it, Livie sighed "I guess, though my mom never solved her mom's murder, the last time she tried to solve it, she got in way too deep, and it is hard to pull her out" "well you won't have to do it alone" April said "we are all here, behind you and so are our families" she grinned "thanks guys" she said taking the ball thrower and using it to scoop the ball up and throw it again.

"so your mom's mom was murdered" April asked gently, she nodded "she was 19 years old, and her mom was murdered in an ally, she never got over it and every through years she becomes obsessed with trying to find the killer, but it gets easier now for her, Rick helps her to let go" they smiled and nodded at her, then Tali looked at her watch "well we should probably head back" she said "see if we can persuade our parents to come home tonight" they all nodded and after telling Alexis they were taking Brodie back they caught the excitable dog and took him back across the street, Tali unlocked the door and allowed them in before picking up a towel and rubbing Brodie's legs off trying to dry him as he stood there panting happily, then she released him and watched him dive for the water bowel, she gave him a chew before settling him on his bed and turned to find April and Livie looking at their movie collection "um wow you have a lot of movies" April said "yeah my dad is a movie dork if you hadn't already realised" she said "oh" Livie said "so those weird comments are movie quotes" Tali grinned "yep" "ah" April said "that makes so much more sense now", they all laughed.

They headed back down and crossed the road, they were just entering the park when a voice called out "hey kita" Tali whirled round "Amir" she said and a smile slipped across her face as a boy with sandy hair and sliver eyes jogged over "hey what you doing here" she asked "I am going for a run, haven't seen you recently" he said "yeah been busy" she said "my parents are working and I am with them" he nodded and glanced over at April and Livie "Oh yes sorry Amir these are my friends Livie Beckett and April Booth, guys this is my… friend Amir Kedar" "hey" Amir said smiling at them with honest sliver eyes, they both greeted him back "so will I see you soon kita" he asked, she nodded "definitely, how about tomorrow morning 0500 for an early morning run" he looked at her "run or sprint" he checked and April bit back a laugh, good she wasn't the only one who thought Tali ran way too fast.

Tali scowled at Amir who grinned innocently at her "run" she said "sorry you are too slow for me" she said, he winked at her "ok then see you at 0500" he touched her cheek "later kita" he said and then he turned and took off at a gentle run across the park.

April and Livie instantly turned to Tali with huge grins on their faces "what" Tali said "he's cute" Livie said "how long have you two been going out" Tali's jaw dropped "what" she spluttered "we are not dating he is just a friend" "yeah and Elvis isn't dead" April said

"We are only friends" Tali said again, they both raised their eyebrows at her, "come on DiNozzo spill the beans" April said, Tali gave them an exasperated glare "we are not dating" she said "well something has happened" Livie said "because he touched your cheek and said 'later kita' what does kita mean" she asked, Tali sighed "it means lass, or girlie in Hebrew" "aww" they both went "shut up" she said "alright, there was something but now there isn't, there can't be because it's complicated"

They both looked at her and she sighed again "when my grandfather kidnapped me and forced me to go undercover, it was as a 15 year old girl named Myka Abrams, I had to buddy up with the son of a terrorist by the name of Elijah Kedar" their jaws dropped "yes he was Amir's father" she said, they continued walking into the park "I had to get close and I did, I got into their house and Amir kissed me" they both smiled but she carried on

"but his father recognised me, you see the first time I was taken Elijah Kedar's brother was there, he tried to kill my family" she looked at them "so I shot him" she said softly, they both stared at her "anyway Amir's father recognised me and he knocked me out, he flew me and Amir out if Israel back to DC, he wanted to kill me and frame me for a bomb blast that would blow up the white house, to cut the long story short my parents found me, he had a gun to my head and had given Amir the trigger to the bomb and was telling him to press it"

She paused and looked across the field "I was screaming at Amir not to, begging him whilst his father had me in a choke hold and a gun to my head, Amir made his choice and defied his father" she lowered her head "and his father shot him, it didn't kill him but he tried to do it again which is when I acted" she paused again and placed her hand over her stomach "I grabbed the gun, I was so frightened, I just wanted it all to end, I wasn't thinking, my mom was screaming out to me not to do it but I did" she looked at them "I pressed the gun against my stomach, aimed upwards and pulled the trigger" she said calmly, "he released me and my mother killed him, Amir went back to Israel but came back a few months later, said he couldn't stay in Israel"

They both looked at her sympathetically "now can you see why we can't be together" Tali asked "I lied to him and killed his father, I destroyed his life" Livie looked at her before taking her hand "let's just say I am no good in the dating department but Tali, even I can see that that boy is not mad at you for lying to him, he really likes you" Tali looked at her and saw April nodding "we talked" she said "we both agreed that the kiss was rushed and we weren't ready, we are happy being just friends"

"you mean you are" Livie said "Tali that boy is crazy about you, and I only met him for about a minute, I mean you saved his life, and he is willing to just stay friends because you are unsure, he moved back to America a few streets down from you because he loves you" Tali stared at her "you think" she said looking uncertain "hell yeah" April said "it is actually kind of romantic" Tali gave them both a small smile "how is it that you have no luck in the boyfriend department" she asked linking arms with them both "ah just haven't found the one" Livie said with a smile "hey I never said I wasn't" April said with a grin "oh do tell" Tali and Livie both said "I don't kiss and tell" April said "but I will say that his name is Seth…"

XOXOXO

When they arrived back everyone was in Angela's office discussing their case, getting more and more frustrated, when their daughters arrived though they all visibly calmed and greeted them cheerfully "hey" April said "I take it that it isn't going well" they all shook their heads and told them what they had tried "every connection we make comes up as a dead end" Booth finished, that was when Livie spoke up quietly "what about the money" they all looked at her "what" Gibbs asked.

She looked at them confused "you said you had the bank account that he used that you can't touch, have you tried tracing any new deposits" they all shook their heads "can't" Angela said "there has been no new deposits, not since the one on the day the first Petty Officer was killed by the reflecting pool, so he is probably using a new account"

Alexis spoke up "what if he isn't" they all frowned at her in confusion she shrugged "what if he isn't getting paid" she said "why would he be killing then" Gibbs asked, she shrugged bet Rick leapt up "that's my girl" he said proudly ruffling her hair before turning to the group "ok so the last payment was the one that brought us together right" they all nodded "what if that was his intention or he saw us form the team to catch him and got cocky, now he is killing to mess with us, I mean the bank account was his way of toying with us before right, so why would he change that, he enjoyed toying with us, he wouldn't stop, so maybe he is killing for fun now"

Everyone was silent taking that into account, "if that is the case" Booth said slowly "what do we do now" Kate groaned "what can we do" she asked "look at us he is following us everywhere we go then, choosing his victims based on who we talk too, we can't talk to anybody without endangering their lives, how can we solve this case without following up on any leads" everyone looked at her "Kate" Rick whispered "it is ok" she whirled round to face him "no it's not ok Rick, how can it be ok, people are dying and there is nothing we can do to stop him without selecting who his victims are"

"mom" Livie whispered catching hold of her hand "mom please calm down" Kate ignored her and carried on pacing, Livie looked at Rick before she leapt forward and stood in her way "let's just go back to our hotel room" she begged "come on please relax mom, take a step away, you are falling in too deep again" "No Livie I am not getting in too deep" Kate said harshly

"yes you are" Livie begged "please mom I have watched this happen to you before, I know when it is happening please" "Kate" Booth said softly remembering what Livie had told him "maybe you should take a day" Kate pulled away from her daughter to whirl round to face him "no" she said "I am not going to take a day because the longer we sit here and don't catch him the more innocent people are going to die" "Kate you are not going to be able to catch her if you are getting this worked up" Booth said "I am not worked up I just want to catch this guy" she snapped at him.

"mom" Livie whispered "please take a day, stop for a bit" Kate whirled round her eyes burning with emotion "I can't Olivia" she shouted "I have to catch this son of a bitch and you are really not helping me, so just let me do this"

Livie flinched backwards at the anger in her mom's voice, nobody spoke as she stood there trembling "I am trying to look after you mom" she said softly "I don't need looking after" Kate snapped, "yes you do" Livie said and her eyes were filling with tears "and if you don't remember how bad you felt the last time you got in too deep and treated me like you just did then you are in too deep", Kate's eyes widened with realisation of what she had done and a shocked and guilty look crossed her face "Livie I…" she began but Livie shook her head and bolted past her running out of the doors.

Instantly Kate moved to follow her but April caught her arm "we'll go after her" she said softly "she needs to calm down and without sounding too mean so do you", she and Tali grabbed their jackets and sprinted off out of the doors after Livie, Alexis took off after them a second later.

Kate stared after them before she gave a whimper "oh god" she whispered falling back into a seat and putting her head in her hands "what have I done" she felt tears slide down her cheeks, then Rick was there pulling her comfortingly into his arms "it's ok" he whispered "no its not, she hates me and she has every right to do so" Kate whispered "no" Rick said firmly "Livie will never hate you Kate, you are her mom and she adores you" "didn't you see how she looked at me" Kate asked, tears falling now in earnest "you just scared her" Rick said softly "you were on edge and you scared her, you both need to calm down ok"

Kate nodded but she didn't speak again, the tears of guilt and disgust at what she had done were uncontrollable and those feelings were consuming her, she did remember the how she had felt the last time she had snapped at her daughter, she remembered it as though it was yesterday…

_XO_

"_Mommy" _

_Kate didn't look up from where she sat on the bed staring at the files intently, she knew them off by heart but she continued to read them, hoping and praying she would spot something she had overlooked. "mommy" Livie said again and with a sigh she looked up at her daughter standing in the doorway to her bedroom, dressed in a pair of small jeans and a long sleeved top, she had stopped pouring over her mother's case this morning to feed Livie when she had woken and dress her, then she had told her to play with her toys in her room whilst she had returned to her room to carry on._

"_what Livie" she asked sharply, Livie faltered suddenly uncertain "can we go to the park" she asked tentatively "I'm bored and we haven't gone in ages" Kate sighed and looked at her "no Livie I am busy honey" Livie looked at her "please mommy" she begged "I am bored" "I can't Livie I am working, how about tomorrow yeah" Livie's little face saddened before she frowned and crossed her arms "you said that yesterday mommy" she said_

"_well I am saying it again today" Kate snapped sharply, instantly she froze as she saw Livie flinch and step back as though she had been slapped, she looked up at her little daughter standing there hurt and confused, suddenly uncertain, her eyes shone slightly with confused tears._

_Kate looked back down at the file on her knee, at her mom's picture smiling up at her, but the picture changed to a disapproving frown, her mom wouldn't want her to focus on her murder rather than her little daughter, she forcefully shut the folder and crammed it into her drawer shutting it tightly before leaping up and moving towards her daughter who was staring at her confused "oh my gosh Livie I am so sorry baby" she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks, she could see the apprehension in Livie's eyes, uncertain if she was going to get shouted at again._

_She paused in front of her daughter "Livie I am really sorry baby, I didn't mean to shout at you" Livie looked at her before holding up her arms uncertainly, instantly Kate scooped her up and hugged her little girl tightly squeezing her tightly whispering over and over again how sorry she was, she felt Livie squeeze her back tightly burying her face into her shoulder whilst Kate breathed in the scent of her little girl's hair whispering again and again that she was sorry, eventually she set her down and crouched in front of her daughter "mommy better now" Livie asked uncertainly with the innocence only a five year old could have, she smiled weakly at her touching her cheek "yeah mommy's better now and she is never going to do that again baby, I promise, if I do you tell me ok" Livie nodded, "you still want to go to the park" Kate asked, Livie shook her head "no, I want to spend time with you just the two of us" she held up two fingers to prove her point, Kate smiled at her and held up two fingers of her own "well what do you want to do just the two of us honey" she thought "can we watch a movie" she asked "and have a cuddle"_

_Kate smiled "that sounds great baby girl, go pick one and I will get us some snacks yeah" Livie instantly brightened up and scampered off to choose a movie whilst Kate grabbed some food, she sat there for the entire movie not watching it but just hugging her little daughter tightly making a vow to herself that she would never fall in that deep again, ever._

_XO_

Kate blinked away the tears, she had broken that promise and had fallen in again, and this time she hadn't managed to stop herself from taking her frustration out on her daughter, she had lashed out and Livie had taken the full blow, she pressed herself against Rick's chest unable to stop the tears as they came down. What had she done?

**Hope you liked it :D From now on it might be getting a bit more eventful :P**

**Please review :D – the more reviews I get the sooner I will update**

**Thanks Mysticgirl**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone, thanks for all the reviews, would love some more. Hope you like this one.**

Chapter 8

Livie ran out of the Jeffersonion tears streaming down her cheeks she stopped eventually and sat by the fountain again holding her mobile, she could call Sweets again, he would be a great listener but that didn't feel right, she wanted to talk to a friend.

Slowly she pulled out her phone and went onto the contacts list scrolling down until she came to a name, a name that was a great friend and an awesome listener, she pressed dial and lifted the phone to her ear wrapping her arms around herself to protect herself from the gentle bite of the wind as she listened to the phone ringing, then he picked up.

"Ryan"

"hey Ryan it's Livie" she said softly, instantly he voice became warm and soft "hey there mini Beckett how's it going" she gave a small smile as she played with the zipper of her fleece "not that great actually, I take it you know about the case and the teams" "yeah" he said and she heard him murmur something in the background "hold on kid Espo wants to say hi" there was a click and the other warm familiar voice spoke up "yo mini Beckett how's you, I hear from Lanie you've made new friends" Livie smiled "hey Javi I'm ok thanks, yeah I have and they are great, how are you" "ah you know, still handsome so can't complain" she let out a small laugh "god what does Lanie see in you" she asked, "that is a question I have been asking myself since they hooked up" Ryan piped up "dude" Esposito said "really, now you are ganging up on me" Livie smiled, she missed them and their playful banter

"so how's the case going kiddo, the teams working well together, your mom working hard" her smile faltered "um yeah mom's working hard, wouldn't say the case is going well though" instantly they picked up that something was wrong "hey Liv what's wrong" Ryan asked gently, she sighed "mom is getting in too deep in the case" "ah" they both said, they had seen her mom on one of her episodes, "is she ok" Esposito asked, she sighed "no she isn't she is so stressed, and working constantly, and today she was so bad and I tried to get her to stop" she paused "she snapped at me, like proper shouted at me, she has never done anything like that to me before, it hurt so bad"

"oh Livs" Ryan said gently "it's ok, she didn't mean it" Livie sighed "I know it is just I was only trying to help and recently she has been putting the case first, everyone has, me Tali, April, and Alexis all slept on the sofa in the Jeffersonion last night, it was ok and we treated it like a massive sleepover but we were worried all our parents were getting in too deep, mine was just the first to show it"

"what did you do" Esposito asked gently, she ducked her head "I reminded her of the last time she snapped at me and told her I was only trying to look after her like we always have for each other, then I ran out, I just wanted space but I wanted to talk to someone and you guys were the first ones I thought of and I'm sorry to be burdening you with my troubles" "hey it's ok" Esposito said "that case you are dealing with, it is a really big one Livie anyone would get stressed by it, and your mom has been through a lot recently, she is bound to be on edge and this is a really personal case" "do you think I over reacted" she mumbled

"no sweetheart you didn't" Ryan said gently "everyone has their moments ok, just take a moment to breathe, allow her to do the same and then move on yeah" she nodded to herself "yeah, thanks guys" she looked at her watch "are you guys still at the precinct, it is a bit late isn't it" "naw" Ryan said "we are having a gaming night" she laughed "I won't tell Rick that" they laughed "yeah we are trying to level up a bit before he gets back so we can whoop his ass" she laughed again "ok guys thanks, that really helped, enjoy your game, see you soon yeah" "yeah later kid, call if you need to talk again" Ryan said "thanks night" "night" they both chorused before she hung up, then she put her head in her hands and just sat there in silence listening to the world moving around her.

She heard movement and then Alexis was sitting next to her pulling her into her arms "oh Livie" she said softly "it's ok" she hugged her sister tightly "I know" she mumbled "I know it's ok, it just doesn't feel ok" Alexis rubbed her back comfortingly, looking over Alexis' shoulder she saw April and Tali standing at a respectful distance, they both smiled supportively at her which she returned gratefully, Alexis pulled away to look at her "you ok" she asked, Livie nodded "I just need a bit of time" Alexis nodded understandingly.

April spoke up "do you want to get out of here, there is a funfair somewhere near the woods, we could go spend some time there", Livie thought "go on" Alexis encouraged "you should go relax a bit" Livie smiled "ok then" she said "let's go" "um don't you need a coat" Tali asked, Livie thought "nah I'll be fine" she said "let's go now" she didn't want to go back into the Jeffersonion and see her mom right now, she wanted to go and have some fun, April and Tali both grinned at her "coming Alexis" April asked, the oldest girl shook her head "no thanks" she said "I'll stay and go tell your mom that you're ok yeah" she looked at Livie who nodded "thanks Lexie" she mumbled giving her sister a hug "no problem Livs" she said with a smile, she kissed her little sister's forehead before heading back towards the lab.

"Come on then" April said "haven't been to the fair in ages" Tali grinned "me neither, not for a couple of years now" Livie grinned "can't wait to see it" she said as they linked arms and headed off towards the gates.

XOXOXO

Kate sat staring blankly over the lab waiting for her daughter to return so she could apologise again, the guilt felt like it was almost crushing her, she hated it, and she felt so bad for what she had done. She heard someone approaching and out of the corner of her eye she saw Rick sit down next to her, she sighed "do you know why I named my daughter Olivia" he looked at her "I assumed that as you are a bit of a book worm it was after a character" she nodded "partly, _Twelfth Night_ by Shakespeare", Rick nodded "I remember the story" she smiled

"I remember lying in that hospital bed looking down at her and wanting to name her something beautiful, and I thought of how when I was little my mom had sat and read _Twelfth Night_ to me and then I thought yes that name was beautiful and it had so many wonderful memories attached to it, and it symbolises beauty, peace and dignity and that was everything I wanted for my little girl"

"It is a beautiful name" Rick said softly "just like her" she smiled and looked at him "I hate myself for what I did to her today" she said softly "don't" Rick said "you shouldn't Kate, everyone has their moments and you shouldn't hate yourself for one moment out of thousands" she looked at him miserably her eyes still full of tears, he sighed and pulled her into his arms holding her tightly.

"why you sad Kate" they both looked up to see Libby standing a few feet away looking at them concerned, her big blue eyes burned with curiosity, Kate smiled at her, pulling on a brave face in front of the five year old "I did something silly" she said "something I shouldn't have" Libby looked at her "everyone does silly things" she said "you shouldn't be sad" Kate smiled at the clever little girl "I know Libs I know" she said, Libby clambered onto the sofa next to her "so be happy" she commanded and Kate saw Rick smile, "ok then" she said with a smile, touching the child on the nose making her giggle and Kate smile "happy now, thank you Libby", the girl grinned and then leaned forward and hugged Kate who stiffened in surprise before she hugged her back, holding her, remembering when her own daughter had been that size.

She hugged the little girl until she chimed "hi Lexie" and they all looked up as Alexis appeared at the end of the platform and made her way over, instantly Kate stood releasing the little girl to Rick who tickled her tummy making her giggle loudly "where's Livie" Kate asked instantly anxious when she could still not see her daughter, Alexis smiled gently "she's fine Kate" she said reassuringly "she went with April and Tali out, there is a fair or something going on and I think those two are trying to give her every DC experience before she leaves" Kate nodded and ducked her head "Kate" Alexis said softly "she isn't mad at you" Kate sighed "she should be" she mumbled "no" Alexis said moving forward to hug her stepmother "she shouldn't be and she isn't, she loves you so much, every mother and child goes through a rough spot, hell I am constantly annoyed with dad, but I love him and that always over rules my anger, Livie didn't even feel mad at you, just a little confused, so relax, the girls are taking her to help her forget and by the time she gets back the two of you can go back to the amazing close relationship you had before this whole thing began"

Kate smiled "thanks Lex" she said softly hugging her tightly, Alexis hugged her back "no problem Kate, just quit worrying will you" Kate nodded uncertainly before releasing her daughter and then she looked at Rick who nodded and picked Libby up and carried her down back to Angela's office where everyone was sitting waiting, they all greeted them cheerfully "better" Booth asked gently, she nodded "sorry guys" she said softly "ah don't worry about it" Tony said "we are all feeling the same, you were just the first to show it" everyone nodded, Rick set Libby down and she ran over to Brennan who picked her up cuddling her on her lap running her fingers through her hair.

"where are the others" Booth asked Alexis "going to some fair" she said "ah" Booth said "I know the one, April used to love it when she was tiny" "I think I know it too" Tony said "we used to take Tali to it didn't we Zee" Ziva nodded from where she was bottle feeding AJ, Booth looked at his watch "they will be a couple of hours there" he said, he looked around "do we want to continue" he asked, everyone shrugged "how about some food" Rick suggested "my treat" "won't say no to that" Tony said with a grin leaning back in his chair.

XOXOXO

Half an hour later the table was littered with empty Chinese boxes and everyone was leaning back, working on the case calmly and relaxed, AJ had been passed from embrace to embrace and was currently sitting on Kate's knee reaching up to play with her hair, she smiled at him looking into his chocolate eyes, carbon copies of his mother's.

"so" Tony said tentatively "if we appear to be choosing his next victims, what do we do now" Booth groaned and rubbed his face "I don't know, work it without questioning anyone in person" "that will be difficult" Gibbs said from where he sat allowing Libby to play with his badge "how can we find him without asking people if they have seen anything suspicious" Booth shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, Kate thought "how does he know" she wondered out loud, they all looked up at her "what" Tony asked, she looked at them "how does he know who we are speaking too" she asked "he must be following us" Ziva realised, Booth turned to Angela "can you run facial recognition against all our crime scene photos" he asked "look for anyone who appears multiple times" she nodded getting to her feet "it might take a while though" she said as she typed in the instructions into her computer.

They all mulled more theories for nearly an hour before quietening down, sprawling across the chairs much as their daughters had done last night, Kate curled up leaning against Rick playing gently with AJ wiggling her fingers in front of him smiling as he grabbed at them giggling gently.

Suddenly there was a loud beeping sound and they all sat up suddenly, Kate catching AJ before he was dislodged by her jerking upwards, they all stared at the screen where four pictures could be seen, one from each of their crime scenes, and each picture had zoomed in to show the same figure, wearing a hooded jumper, with the hood shadowing his face and large sunglasses hiding his eyes, they all stared "that's him" Kate breathed "that is our killer" she gazed at him frowning, she had the strangest feeling that she had seen him before, but she couldn't see him properly and she couldn't have, it was impossible.

"We've got him" Booth said "we have his picture, we can send it to every unit in the city and someone will have to see him right I mean…whoa"

Everyone froze as the images disappeared "Angie" Booth said uncertainly "not me" she said looking confused "I am not doing…oh" her gasp mingled with everyone else's as a message flashed on the screen:

'**BACK OFF'**

They all looked at each other "um Ange hilarious joke" Booth said "hey I am not even holding the controller now" Angela said indignantly showing them her empty hands, "that's how he does it" Kate said "he hacked us, somehow he got through all the firewalls and hacked us, he has been watching our every step, now we are too close, he is warning us away"

They all looked at each other "um, now what" Rick asked "Ange do you think you can back trace the signal" Booth asked, she shrugged "I can give it a try" she said sitting down "hey McGee come give me a hand" she called, McGee leapt up and ran to help her, their fingers flew across the keyboard as they typed furiously before McGee growled "no, he sensed us coming, he blocked me" they all looked up as another message flashed up:

'**I Warned You'**

It disappeared and was replaced by an image, an image that nearly made their hearts stop and their throats run dry.

Three girls sat on a bench side by side grinning at each other, laughing at some unheard joke, their eyes shining, oblivious to the danger that could be seen behind them, the shadows of a group of men all watching them.

Tony reacted the fasted, he yanked out his phone and was calling his daughter putting it on speaker "hey dad" Tali said chirpily "Tali" he shouted "run now, all of you run" "what" she said confused "go get out of there, you're in danger go" Tony shouted, there was a gasp and then Tali was saying "hey guys let's go" they could hear the murmur of the other two obviously asking what was wrong "let's go" Tali said firmly, and then they could hear the sounds of them moving "stick to the crowds" Tony said "keep talking to me Tali and don't lose the others, we are on our way" they were all running towards their cars clambering in to two of them "dad what's wrong" Tali asked "just get out of there find somewhere crowded and stay there" Tony said as Ziva pulled away with a screech of tyres heading out of the grounds speeding along with Booth right behind her, frantically she pushed the peddle down desperate to get to her daughter.

XOXOXO

Tali frowned in confusion at her father's tone, he caught hold of Livie's hand and motioned for her to do the same to April, then they were heading back to the main part of the fair where crowds of people were, then she froze as she sensed movement behind her and looking up she saw two men standing in their path.

"Tali" she heard her dad say, but she didn't respond, she lowered the phone away from her ear and then slowly slipped it into her pocket as she glanced over and saw more men coming from either side of them, she heard Livie gasp and the three of them bunched together protecting each other's backs as they stared at the circle of men around them.

Nobody moved except for Tali, who looked around the circle frantically searching for an escape, but there were none visible, then the men pounced, there was no visible command, they just all reacted at the same time. Tali yelled as she felt them grab her and Livie and April both cried out, they were placing a rag over her mouth and nose, and the cloying smell made her feel dizzy, 'no' she thought grimly, 'not today'.

She struck out with her leg kicking one in his crotch; he swore loudly doubling over allowing her to elbow him in the face and send him falling backwards, instantly she swung her free arm up punching the other one in the nose, he swore and swung his arm at her but she blocked his blow and rammed herself into him, sending him to the floor, she leapt away from him and saw that the other men were dragging Livie and April away hands clamped over their mouths to muffle their cries, "hey" she shouted and ran at them tackling the ones holding April and swinging her leg out from the floor to kick the one holding Livie making him stop, eyes wide Livie jammed her elbows into his stomach and he staggered backwards, she yanked herself forward and away stumbling away, he launched for her again but Tali stepped in punching him in the throat sending him sprawling to the floor.

Livie stared at them April was staggering away from her captors breathing hard, "you ok" she asked, she and Tali nodded shakily, suddenly they heard a growl and saw Tali's captors heading for them again and the others were staggering to their feet, Livie felt Tali shove her, "go" she shouted "move, now, RUN", neither she or April hesitated, they both bolted away from the men, into the woods.

XOXOXO

Branches lashed at me, tearing at my skin, roots grabbed at my ankles trying to drag me down, it felt like even nature itself was against me, determined to stop me. But the angry nature wasn't the scariest thing out here so I pressed on, forcing myself to run faster, to be stronger. I forced my way through a thicket, vines wrapped around my wrists, like the fingers on those snatching hands that were chasing me, thorns cut through my skin as easily as though it were air, leaving bloody red furrows running up and down my arms.

I could hear shouting from behind me, and I struggled on breaking branches that blocked my path, the loud cracks they made echoed through the silent night no doubt alerting my chasers to my location. _Crack, crack, crack. _This time it was not I who made those cracks, they were from my chasers, they were gunshots, and the bullets were aimed at me.

At last I broke free of the thicket, though branches still clung to me, snagging my hair, more gunshots sounded and I heard a gentle _'pft'_ as a bullet buried itself into the trunk of the tree, against was I was leaning, catching my breath. I bolted. My lungs ached, I had been running for so long, they screamed at me to stop and breathe but every other fibre of my being screamed at me to not stop, to find safety, and that was the part of me that I decided to follow, adrenaline drove me on.

More roots grabbed me and this time they succeeded, I tumbled to the ground. Gasping I scrambled up only to freeze still breathing hard as I felt something cold get pressed against my neck "don't move" was growled in my ear and too exhausted to fight I obeyed. I turned when told to stare into my triumphant opponent's face, he leered at me, slowly the gun still pointed at my head he raised his hand, inside which a walkie talkie rested, smiling victoriously at me he lifted it to his he mouth.

At that moment there was a savage strangled angry cry and he spun round only to yelp as a heavy log collided with his face, he dropped to the floor without making a sound, without reporting our position, I looked at my saviour, her clothes like mine were torn and her arms and cheeks were covered in cuts, her hair was ragged but her rich brown eyes gleamed with the excitement of the chase, the thrill of fear that she felt, "thanks" I said panting "any time" she said with a small grin also breathing hard. Then her face turned serious "where's Tali" she asked, I didn't need to answer, the look on my face said it all, I didn't know, and neither did she. Suddenly there was shouting and we both dropped to the ground hiding between the roots of a tree, a small dark shape rushed past and we both hissed out to her, she turned and relief was written across her face, then she looked up and it was replaced by fear, she looked at us and then gave a small smile, illuminated by the little light that the moon gave us, we stared at her in horror, shaking our heads frantically but she looked determined, 'run' she mouthed then she turned and fled.

I tried to leap up after her but April held me down, her hand over my mouth as more dark shapes rushed past us, there was silence, then three loud cracks that made us flinch, they seemed even louder than they should be in the silent forest, listening hard we heard a muffled thump and then the sound of our attackers cheering. We stared at each other in horror "no not Tali" I whispered, shock and fear consuming me, Tali was the strongest out of the three of us, she couldn't have been captured, but she had.

We weren't safe there and although it pained us to do so, to leave our friend, not knowing her fate, we leapt up and stumbled away. We stayed close together, determined not to be separated again, for fear of capture, we moved as silently as possible through the dark trees, looking desperately for an escape, a friendly light, a gap in the trees, anything. But there was nothing, we were in the middle of nowhere, all alone, except for each other with men with guns out to get us.

Suddenly from behind there was shouting and before we could stumble more than a few steps, there was a crack, April groaned, and then staggered before falling, a tranquiliser dart in her side, "April" I gasped terrified falling to my knees beside her, "run" she gasped. I looked over my shoulder, in what little light there was I saw our abductors moving towards us, one of which I could see was holding a limp figure slung over his shoulder. Tali. "Livie" April gasped, her voice was beginning to slur "run", there was a shout as one of the men spotted me still standing.

But I didn't move, as scared as I was I knew my place, and that was here with my new friends, I wouldn't abandon them, we were so alike, we understood each other better than anyone else did. So I stood there frozen to the spot, trembling, strong arms grabbed me, a cloth was placed over my mouth and nose, but I didn't fight, I began to feel dizzy as I breathed in whatever was on the cloth, the world swayed and my body went limp as I fell to the floor, as my eyes began to droop I stared at the canopy of trees above me, and the beautiful moon, glowing above me, then the world went black.

XOXOXO

He stood there leaning against his car waiting impatiently, he looked at his watch and then sighed and tapped his foot, trying not to get too angry, where were they, they should be here by now.

He looked up as he heard a car approaching and a white van pulled up next to him and the thugs he had hired climbed out, he looked at them "did you get her" he asked, the leader nodded angrily "we got them all" he said and he yanked the door to the van open, he eyed him, he had a broken nose "wasn't that easy I take it" he said, he scowled and yanked one of the girls out "this one is lethal" he snarled "she can fight" he eyed her "hmm" he said looking at her "if you don't want her I will have her" the thug said producing a large knife and holding it to the girl's slender throat "I want to hurt her and kill her" he breathed.

He looked at him "put them in my car" he said "all of them", the thugs lifted the three girls and placed them in the boot of his SUV, they had tied their wrists with flexi cuffs and they were all unconscious. "well" the leader of the thugs demanded "where is our money", he considered killing them, it was the cheaper, cleaner way, but he didn't feel like it so he handed over a bag containing their money "speak of this to no one" he warned "otherwise I will kill you", they nodded and grabbed the bag before jumping into their van and driving off.

He moved round to the boot and studied the three girls, his gaze lingered on his target, curled up in between the other two, he had only wanted her, he would have taken her anyway, the others were just to keep the parents at bay. He gazed at her, lying there unconscious and he smiled before reaching in and running his fingers through her long brown hair, then he slammed the boot shut and clambered into the driver's seat and started the engine and drove off with his precious cargo.

**Haha cliffhanger, I know I am cruel.**

**The more reviews I get the sooner I will update, so you know what to do **

**Thanks Mysticgirl**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi thanks for all the reviews, really appreciate them, would love a few more please. Anyway enjoy this one.**

Chapter 9

Ziva sent the car spinning round the corner into the parking lot ignoring the parking attendants shouting and pulled up, instantly they leapt out of the car, Tony was still shouting desperately down the phone to Tali who had stopped answering not long after they had called her, that hadn't stopped him continuing to call to her though the phone, getting more and more anxious, they had heard all of them crying out and then Tali shouting at the others to run and then a few more sounds, loud cracks before there was nothing. They all ran into the fairground flashing their badges at the ticket people and ran in, hunting high and low for their children calling to them, pushing through the crowds ignoring their protests.

Eventually Kate stumbled back into the centre of the fair where the others were standing breathing hard "they're not here" Booth said angrily, his face was hard in the flashing lights of the ride but his eyes were full of worry and pain, he pulled out his phone, "Angie" he shouted over the loud music and excited shrieks "listen trace Tali's phone now, Tony is still calling her" At that moment Gibbs and McGee appeared "have you found them" Gibbs shouted, they all shook their heads angrily, then Booth was moving "Tali's phone is in this direction" he called and they ran out towards where the crowds were thinning.

"Look" Ziva cried "that is where the picture was taken" she was pointing at the very bench indeed only an hour ago their daughters sat laughing and safe, they all ran over hunting for any clue, but the area was bare, "McGee call it in" Gibbs said quietly and his youngest agent nodded, Kate was looking around desperately as Booth asked Angela to keep directing them to Tali's phone and they followed her directions to the edge of the dark woods where they all paused and stared into the dark woods, towering over them, dark and forbidding.

Then Kate plunged forward into the trees and the others were right behind her producing two flashlights and they all drew their guns as they moved through the trees quietly, their eyes flashing around, combing through the darkness searching for any movement. They stumbled forward through a thicket and on through the trees until Booth stopped "Angela says Tali's phone is right around here" he said quietly, they all looked around "Tali" Ziva called out anxiously, there was no response.

"Found it" Rick said quietly and they all turned to see him pick up Tali's phone from under the cover of pine needles, still receiving the call from Tony who slowly ended the call and took the phone from Rick staring at it in shock. Ziva took a flashlight from McGee and turned it on the ground, her face expressionless as she tried to hide the pain she was in, she traced the beam of light across the leaf littered floor, "there was a struggle here" she said quietly, she backed away looking on the floor "Tali was running, then she fell and started struggling" "what did she fall over" Gibbs asked, she shrugged "she fell over nothing" Kate said, they all looked at her, she was crouching down looking at something, they all moved over and saw a dart lying in the bed of leaves glinting in the light of the torches "they shot her with a tranquiliser dart" she said looking up and there was anger and fear in her eyes.

Ziva stepped away as Gibbs bent and bagged the needle and they all followed her as she traced the path, tracing their children's movement back the way they had come, "boot prints" she said suddenly, pointing to some prints heading in the same way they were, "not the girls" she paused again and they could all see the signs of a struggle, then Tony bent and picked up another phone, April's.

They all stared at it before following the tracks at a faster rate until they emerged a few meters away from the fair, Ziva bent again and they all crouched down with her and saw tyre tracks along with a small object which Ziva reached out and picked up "this is Tali's knife" she said showing it to them, they all looked at her "she carries a knife" Booth said "she carries two usually" Tony said grimly, "that one is concealed at her waist in a holster attached to her belt" "and the other one" Rick asked "a switchblade in her boot strapped to her ankle" Ziva said, Booth looked at them "you all carry knives" he asked, spotting one strapped to Ziva's ankle "Rule #9" all three agents said, they all looked at Gibbs "never go anywhere without a knife" he clarified.

They all looked at the knife in Ziva's hand and then they looked around, "he got them" Kate whispered, "he got them and they're gone", nobody spoke, they just stood there trying not to let their pain crush them.

XOXOXO

Livie whimpered as she felt herself come to, she hurt and felt sick, slowly she allowed her eyes to flutter open and she looked around and had to fight not to let the panic take over her, she was lying in a dimly lit room, lit only by a single flickering light bulb, the walls were bare and there was nothing in the room, it was empty. For a wild moment she thought she was back in the basement where she had been tortured with the white hot pipe, and then she saw that the room was in fact not empty and slumped next to her were two more unconscious forms.

"April" she cried rolling over "Tali" she wriggled over to them, that was when she heard the clinking sound and looking over she saw a chain around her ankle attached to a ring fastened to the wall, her two friends were also chained in the same way. She shook April "please be ok" she gasped shaking her shoulder before breathing a sigh of relief as the older girl groaned and opened her eyes groggily blinking, "Livie" she mumbled frowning in confusion, then she sat up with a gasp looking round wildly for danger before she looked back at Livie "are you ok" she demanded, Livie nodded, but she didn't feel ok, she was terrified, April pulled her into her arms "it's ok" she said softly "we are going to be fine I promise Livie we will be fine" Livie leaned against the older girl who had instantly realised that she would have to be the brave one and comfort the younger girls.

April hugged Livie until they heard a groan and saw Tali stirring, she put her hand to her head where there was a large bruise forming, then she looked around, she took in their situation calmer than they others had expected, then she looked at them "well um this is a new situation" she said, she heaved herself into a sitting position leaning against the wall and drew her leg up to her chest to study the chain around her ankle, then she looked at them frowning "everyone ok" she asked, they both nodded and then they all huddled together, as they leaned back though, April winced and leaned forward again, her hand went to her back and she shifted her shirt up "ow" she mumbled, "something hurts".

Livie peered at her back and saw a large red area "there is a needle mark there" she said "from the dart when we were caught" April sighed and then looked at her as Tali rubbed her side where she had her own needle mark "speaking of getting caught, what the hell were you thinking Livie" Livie blinked "what" she said "you just stood there" April said "you should have run", Livie looked at her "I wasn't going to run and be the only one not caught" she said "what kind of friend would that make me" "a smart one" Tali said as she stood up and moved over to the ring on the wall tugging at their chains "but not a very good one" Livie said "we are all in this together guys"

April sighed exasperated but rolled her eyes and nodded then she stood up and moved around the room as far as the chain would allow her, it wouldn't let them near the door, she sighed, and circled back to where they had originally been found, Tali slumped next to them "we are not getting out of these without keys" she said grimly shaking her leg so that the chain rattled, they huddled together, April realised that Livie was shivering, she didn't have her coat, she looked at Tali who nodded and they both shifted so that she was in between them and pressed themselves against her, slowly her shivering subsided slightly "thanks guys" she mumbled staring at the floor worried, "don't worry" April said "our parents will find us, we have survived this before, we can survive it again" the other two nodded, but none of them voiced how worried they were that they might not be so lucky this time.

XOXOXO

Alexis rushed at them the moment they entered the lab "did you find them" she cried anxiously, her face crumpled at the sight of their faces "no" she gasped "no not again" Rick caught hold of her holding her tightly pain in his eyes, pain that was reflected in all their eyes, most of them had managed to hold it together, until now when Angela came towards them holding AJ with Libby right behind her, when the parents saw their other child they could barely hold it in, Brennan bent and hugged Libby tightly a few tears sliding down her cheeks as Ziva caught hold of AJ holding him protectively against her chest murmuring to him in Hebrew blinking back tears, Angela looked horrified when she realised that they had been too late.

They all stood there for a bit before Libby, innocent five year old Libby pulled away from her mommy and looked around "where's April mommy" she asked "and Tali and Livie" she looked confused when her mom dropped her head unable to look at her other daughter, she looked from face to face as everyone avoided her gaze "daddy" she asked "where are they"

Booth bent down and bravely looked Libby in the face catching hold of her shoulders rubbing them gently "April" he said before pausing "… April and the others, they aren't coming back for a few days ok honey" she frowned confused "where are they" she asked, Booth looked at her "they have gone away" he said "for how long" Libby asked "I don't know honey" he said gently, Libby frowned "I want to say goodbye" she said "you can't Libs I am sorry" Booth said quietly "why not" she demanded totally confused but she seemed to understand that they weren't telling her something "because we can't talk to them either" Booth said "why" Libby wailed and her confusion and misery broke everyone's hearts all over again.

Booth looked at her miserably "just because Libs" "no" she cried, realising that there was something seriously wrong here "I want April, please daddy I want her, I want her" Booth pulled the little girl into his arms holding her tightly as she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, AJ mumbled uncertainly at her distress too and Ziva bounced him gently kissing the top of his dark hair, clutching him tightly trying to remain composed.

Eventually Libby stopped crying when exhausted she fell into a light doze where she rested cuddled against Booth's chest, her tears leaving a wet stain on his shirt, carefully he carried her into Brennan's office and lay her on the sofa covering her with a blanket before exiting the room and closing the door, everyone else had moved into the main office now where they had been joined by Angela, Hodgins and Cam, everyone was sitting silently, AJ had fallen asleep curled against Ziva's chest who was curled up against Tony's chest. Alexis' was against her father who hugged her protectively, silently he went and sat next to Brennan pulling her into his arms "where is Kate" he asked Rick softly, he looked out and Booth spotted her on the viewing platform sitting on the sofa on the phone.

"She is speaking to her best friend" Rick said quietly, Booth nodded and then they all lowered their heads and sat in stunned silence unsure of what to do next.

XO

Alexis looked at Kate sitting on the platform wrapped up on her grief, she hated seeing her like this, she didn't know how to comfort her, every time any of the parents caught sight of her their faces crumpled, she didn't blame them, she was the daughter who had escaped this mess, deep down they all wished she was their own child.

She sighed before remembering the last time Livie had gone missing, who had comforted Kate and she pulled out her phone, scrolling through the contacts until she came to the one she wanted.

"hello" she heard that cheerful voice "Lanie" she said shakily "hey Alexis" Lanie said slowly, picking up on the tension in her voice "honey what's wrong" Alexis felt those carefully controlled tears slide down her cheeks, she let out a sob, "Alexis what is wrong" Lanie asked alarmed "Lanie it's Livie" Alexis sobbed "she's gone" "what" Lanie exclaimed "she ran away" "no" she cried "he took her, the killer, he took Livie, April and Tali"

Lanie was silent and horrified "oh god Alexis how is Kate holding up, and the others" Alexis sighed and leaned against the wall "they are all fighting to hide it but Kate feels guilty because she and Livie were fighting the last time they spoke" "oh poor Kate" Lanie whispered "I was hoping you could call her and talk to her, you are her best friend" Alexis mumbled "of course, thank you for telling me Alexis" Lanie said gently "don't you worry ok, now go to your dad and have a hug, it will make you both feel better" "yeah ok" Alexis whispered "thanks Lanie" "no problem honey" the coroner said before hanging up.

Alexis looked up as she heard Kate's phone ring, she answered it and then but her head in her hands and her shoulders wracked with sobs, Alexis moved into the office and straight over to her dad hugging him tightly as he clung to her tightly as she hugged him, desperate for some comfort.

XO

"Hello"

Kate blinked back tears as she answered her phone, there was silence on the other end of the phone, then "oh my god Katie, Alexis just told me, I am so sorry" Lanie whispered and more tears slid down Kate's cheeks and she cried whilst her best friend whispered words of comfort down the line to her, eventually Kate managed to get herself back under control and she told her best friend what had happened.

"oh god Kate" Lanie whispered when she was done, Kate just sobbed out a few tears "I feel awful Lanie" she whispered "the last words I spoke to her were hateful, what if those are the last words I will ever get to say to her" "hey don't think like that Kate" Lanie said firmly "you will see her again, I promise you that you will, you just need to stay calm ok, relax honey, and do your job, Javi is here and he wants a quick word"

There was a rustle as the phone was handed over "hey Beckett" Esposito said quietly, not even trying to hide the pain in his voice, Kate just sobbed "hey, hey" Esposito said comfortingly "it's ok Kate, relax ok" "I can't" Kate cried "how can I relax when I don't know where she is, whether she is alive or dead" "she is not dead" Esposito said firmly "Kate he won't have killed them, he took them for a reason ok, she is going to be fine" Kate wiped the tears away from her eyes miserably "Lanie just called Ryan" Esposito said "now she is packing our bags, we are going to get some leave from Gates tomorrow and head down there Kate, we are coming whether you want us too or not, we are coming to help find these girls" Kate felt a small smile slide onto her face "thanks Espo" she whispered "hey you know me Becks, always there for you" he said gently, "now relax and here is Lanie"

Lanie came back on the line "hey girl, you ok now" "yeah" Kate whispered even though she wasn't "you are a sour liar to me honey" Lanie said "you just know me better" Kate mumbled "hell yeah I do" she said "which is why I know that you need us" "yeah I do" Kate whispered "well we are on our way, now go back to writer boy and cuddle up with your man, he will be there for you Kate, always" Kate smiled weakly "I know" she whispered "thanks Lanie" "no problem" Lanie said "now stay calm and don't panic ok, we will be there soon, oh and Kate" "yeah" Kate mumbled "I know you honey don't you dare do anything reckless that will make me want to kill you" Kate smiled weakly again "ok I promise, thanks Lanie, see you soon" she ended the call.

She sat there for a few minutes allowing the sobs of anguish to come pouring out before she took long deep breaths and regained control of herself, then she stood and headed down to Angela's lab where she found everyone assembled, lying in each other's arms, she looked at Rick hugging his daughter as he looked up at her and then opened one arm to her and she crawled into his comforting embrace clinging to him tightly, scared of losing him too, looking over she saw Tony holding Ziva and AJ and for once the ex-Israeli Mossad agent wasn't in control, there were tears leaking out of Ziva's eyes as she clutched her sleeping son tight, terrified of him too being snatched away, and Booth had Brennan lying in his arms, her face was turned away to hide her pain but she clutched Libby who had obviously run into join them.

They all lay there; clutching their remaining loved ones, terrified of losing them too.

XOXOXO

Livie's head snapped up along with the others as they heard footsteps in the hall, they looked at each other before huddling closer together protectively waiting to face this new threat together.

The door opened and he entered and they all stared at him, the man their parents had been chasing for so long, taking in his appearance. He was tall and well built, muscled and strong, he had dark hair that hung over his eyes, almost like it was hiding them still, but they could still see them dark evil eyes that glittered cruelly at them as he stood over them eyeing them all up, he had very prominent features, high cheekbones, tall and proud, well defined nose and his eyes were sunk deep into his head, he had thin lips that were twisted into a cruel smirk of triumph, "welcome my dears" he said and his voice was soft yet dangerous "I have been looking forward to meeting you all"

Tali's hand shifted towards her boot and he smiled "looking for this sweetheart" he asked holding up a switchblade knife "good hiding place honey, I nearly missed it" Tali stared at him in anger, disgust written across her face, he smiled at her "you are lucky you know" he told her "those thugs I hired to get you, their leader wanted to keep you, he wanted to hurt you and kill you because you broke his nose" Tali glared at him "can I send him a get well soon card" she spat and he laughed gently at her "he wanted to kill you but I decided that I would take you too, make up the complete set".

He moved back into the corridor and grabbed a chair dragging it in and sitting down in front of them then he proceeded to study them each in turn, then he sighed and leaned back "I am sure you all have some questions" he said "go on, amuse me, ask what you want to know", Livie looked at the other two who were staring at him defensively, eventually April spat out "who are you, what do you want from us" he smiled "well I was hoping one of you might know who I am" he said "and if she doesn't I will tell her soon enough, as for what I want from you, I only want one of you, the other two of you are here to keep your parents at bay whilst I plan my next move because they suddenly got quite close, and I don't want them figuring out who I am, at least not until I am ready for them"

They all stared at him again and he smiled "your parents did well" he said "no one has ever come that close to catching me, I mean they all knew about me after they found my bank account and I considered moving it but then I thought 'why not have some fun, have the cops running round in circles for a while, knowing there would be another victim, but not knowing when, I mean I was pretty fun" he looked at Livie then who was glaring at him "aw sweetheart you not going to talk to me" he asked in a playfully hurt voice "don't worry I understand why honey"

Livie glared at him "you shot my mom" she whispered "you tried to kill her" he sighed theatrically "ok I want deny it, yes that was me honey, but I didn't kill her did I" "only cus she was lucky" Livie said angrily, he raised his eyebrows "oh is that why you think sweetheart, then I am afraid you are seriously wrong, you think it was luck that saved her, no it wasn't, it was me" Livie looked at him "yeah right" she said

"think about it sweetheart, I have been killing people for years now, you have seen my most recent works, one shot to the heart, kills instantly, they are dead instantly, if I had wanted your mother dead, she would be dead, that distance was perfect, no wind no nothing, and she was in the perfect position, high above everyone else, I could have killed her, but I didn't want to, everyone thinks it was because she turned slightly to her _husband_" Livie noticed that he spoke that word with distaste "that she survived, but no I aimed slightly to the side, purposefully missing her heart, giving her that chance to survive"

Livie stared at him "I don't believe you" she hissed, he smiled "well I know the truth honey, I didn't want your mother dead, so I didn't kill her, believe me when I was given her picture I was shocked, I thought long and hard about killing her but I realised nah I didn't want too"

Livie stared at him confused "if that is true" she said as bravely as she could "why didn't you want my mom dead" he smiled and stood up moving forward until he was crouching in front of her, he studied her with a smile on his face, then he caught hold of her dragging her up, April and Tali both shouted out but he struck April across the cheek sending her flying backwards, Livie struggled in his grip terrified, she stared at him with wide eyes as he smiled at her, he caught hold of her chin forcing her to stare straight into his eyes as they combed over her features "you look a lot like her" he said "almost an exact copy of how she looked when I first met her" Livie's eyes widened but then he was forcing her round using her hair to yank her head to the side and she felt him trace his fingers across her burns, but they weren't cold and poking, they were gently stroking the burns. April could see the fear in her eyes.

"you have been through so much sweetheart" he murmured "I am proud of you for being so strong", Livie struggled desperately "you were so brave my sweetheart" he said "how do you know anything about me" she spat, he smiled and released her, instantly she fell back to the others, turning defensively to look at him "because my lovely after I was asked to kill your mom, I looked you up, I found out what horrors you had been through, oh I was mad my darling, so mad, I learned that your mom had managed to get the guy locked up" he smiled "I did one better honey, I made him really suffer for what he did to you" Livie stared at him as he beamed proudly.

"Tyler Paige didn't even see it coming sweetie, he was living his life in prison quite happily, he shouldn't have been happy after what he did to you after he destroyed your life" "what did you do" Livie gasped, he grinned wickedly at her "I waited until he came out into the yard" he said and the smile widened "then I put a bullet through his brain"

Livie let out a choking gasp of horror and turned away "why aren't you happy" he asked, there was something like frustration in his eyes "I made sure he can never hurt you again, your mother just locked him up, he would have escaped and come after you again sweetheart, I made sure that he won't"

Livie looked at him and there were tears in her eyes "why" she screamed "why did you do that" he smiled again, "because I had to" he said, Livie looked at him "who is it that you want out of the three of us" she asked and she could already guess the answer, he smiled "you of course my dear" he said, and she felt the other two stiffen in surprise on either side of her, she stared at him "why" she asked trying not to allow her voice to tremble, he looked at her, "your mother never told you about me" he asked, Livie stared, "my mom knew you" she said "oh yes" he said "she knew me very well when we were both young 18 year olds"

"I don't believe you" Livie said with as much venom as she could in her voice, he laughed "oh we did, I knew her so well, she really was something special honey, so amazing, I was stunned by her all the time, she had so much spark and attitude to her, she turned heads wherever she went, and she was mine" Livie stared at him "god yes she and I… oh wait you're too young to hear about that" he laughed wickedly and Livie felt a thrill of fear rush through her, "her mother never trusted me though, ah Johanna Beckett, rest in peace, she never liked me at all, I know that frustrated your mom a lot, she wanted her mother's acceptance, but she never got it, at least not when it came to me, I guess though her mother was right about me in the end"

Livie stared at him, no he couldn't be telling the truth, but there was no hint of a lie in his eyes as he stared at her, then he bent down reaching out to run his fingers through her hair, but she pulled away "come now my darling" he said looking at her, "no" she spat "I am not 'your darling' leave me alone" he stood up and stared at her "do the math sweetheart" he said calmly "I met your mother not long after her 18th birthday, you were born a few months before her 19th birthday"

Livie stared at him, she felt the other two freeze on either side of him, and her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him "no" she whispered "no, no, no, no, no" he smiled "sorry sweetheart but yes" he said, he stood over her smiling triumphantly,

"It is nice to meet you at long last Olivia" he said, then he uttered those two words that sent a chill through her veins and filler her with horror

"My daughter"

**Well – bet no one saw that coming :P**

**Please review if you are dying to know what happens next, I know I am :P**

**The more reviews I get the more inclined I might feel to update by maybe Friday...**

**Thanks**

**Mysticgirl**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hi, everyone, thanks for the reviews, really would love some more, so please let me know whaqt you think. Hope you like this one.**

Chapter 10

Livie stared at him "no" she said "no, no, you are not my father" he smiled at her "sorry sweetheart but I am, I got your mother pregnant when she was 18,Olivia not long after I met her, we were both pretty surprised by it, I told her to get rid of you but she refused, saying she couldn't, though she planned to give you up for adoption because there was no way she could look after you" he looked at her "I was mad at her I have to say, I told her I wasn't sticking around and I left her, I never heard anything about her until I was handed her picture and asked to put a bullet through her heart, I did my usual research, tracked her down where I saw you, I looked at you and realised that you had to be mine, there was no other explanation, I was surprised that she had kept you, after all how was she to support you at 19, I learned everything about her, how her mother had been killed, how she had become a cop, how her precious little secret daughter had been kidnapped"

Livie stared at him terrified, then he moved forward "no" she cried "no stay away from me" she scrambled backwards away from the others but he followed her and April and Tali backed away again, tears were streaming down Livie's cheeks as she scrambled into a corner and turned away from him, sobbing, he continued towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder but she pulled away angrily.

He frowned at her "I understand it is hard" he said "to hear it so suddenly, and to learn what your mom has been hiding from you over the years, I will give you some time to digest that" he stood and backed away from her watching her, his eyes hard, then he turned and left the room, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

Instantly Tali and April crawled over to Livie and wrapped their arms around her as she cried "shh Livie" April whispered "it's ok it's ok" "he can't be my father" she sobbed "he is probably lying" April whispered "but he knows so much about my mom" Livie whispered, "Livie don't worry" Tali whispered "it's ok, we are all going to be ok" but all of them felt growing dread inside of them now, this was not anything anyone had expected, nor something anyone was prepared for.

XOXOXO

Kate sighed as she awoke the next morning looking around, trying not to let the pain crush her again, she was still lying on top of Rick as was Alexis, and his shirt had two wet patches on it from their tears, looking over she saw Booth still held Brennan and Libby tightly but Ziva was sleeping on her own still clutching AJ but the tiny boy was beginning to stir in his sleep mumbling, Tony was nowhere to be seen. Slowly Kate sat up careful not to wake Rick and Alexis and moved over picking the baby up not wanting him to wake Ziva, the young Israeli shifted in her sleep and mumbled Tali's name before slipping back into a deep sleep.

Kate carried AJ out of the office bouncing him gently as he mumbled, then he rested her head on her shoulder and settled back down and closing his eyes, she walked around slowly trying to keep her mind busy and she focused on sending the little boy back to sleep, once his grip on her shirt had lessened as he dozed off she looked up and spotted Tony sitting on the top platform, slowly and quietly she made her way up there.

He was sitting on a sofa staring at a picture of his family as though wishing he could go back to that day when they were happy, he was different now, he wasn't the cheeky prank loving agent he had been before this mess, he was a broken family man who had lost part of his family and was struggling to cling onto the other part as Ziva slipped away deep into her pain.

He looked up as she approached, staring blankly at her before registering that she had his son "hey" he said "did he wake you" Kate shook her head as she sat down next to him, shifting AJ into a more comfortable position "no I was already awake, I just didn't want him to wake everyone else, they need as much sleep as they can get" he nodded "couldn't sleep any more either" she shook her head again, then she glanced at the photo in his hand, it showed the four of them all grinning at the camera sitting in the grass, he had one arm round Tali grinning down at her, his daughter was laughing as he tickled her in the stomach, her eyes shining at the camera a huge grin on her face as she leaned against her dad, his other arm was around Ziva who leaned against him hugging Aiden to her chest smiling down at him as he giggled and clapped his hands at whoever was taking the photo.

Tony traced his thumb over Tali's smiling face and sighed "you would think that I would be used to this by now" he said softly "I mean over the last year and a bit I have had Tali ripped from me more times than a father should have to have his child ripped away in a life time, Tali is a magnet for danger I swear and I should be used to it by now but it doesn't get any easier" Kate reached out and took his hand squeezing it gently "Tali is strong" she said softly "hell I have never seen any child stronger than her, she can get through this, you know she can", very carefully she slipped his sleeping son into his arms and a small smile slipped across his face and he nodded to her "how are you coping" he asked looking up at her.

She sighed and ducked her head "not good" she mumbled "I hate how the last words I spoke to my daughter were words of hate and anger, and I might never get to tell her how sorry I am" he looked at her "Kate" he said softly, she looked into his gentle green eyes "Livie knows you didn't mean those things, she loves you so much, all of them are going to get through this, they are strong girls, put the three of them together and I know that they will look after each other" Kate gave a small smile and they both sat in silence for a minute.

"I think it has to be hard on Brennan and Booth" Tony said, she looked at him "Alexis understands enough, AJ doesn't understand a thing but Libby, god she is right at that age, too young to know the truth, but too old to be kept completely out of it, she knows something is wrong and that we are lying to her but we can't tell her the truth" Kate nodded "you're right" she said

"you know I had another partner before Ziva" Tony said suddenly "her name was Cait too" Kate looked at him "what happened to her" she asked, he sighed "she was killed, shot through the head by a sniper" he looked at her "you want to know the worst part" she looked at him again "her killer, Ari Haswari, he was Ziva's paternal half-brother" Kate stared at him, "was" she questioned "he was killed" he said softly "not many people know this, they think Gibbs killed him but it was actually Ziva, she shot him protecting Gibbs" she looked at him before giving him a sad smile "what was Cait like" she asked, a small smile slipped onto her face "a lot like you" he said "strong and confident, very snarky, well to me she was but I drove her up the wall, annoying her to hell, she was like a sister to me, I can still feel the cast off blood spray up into my face as I watch her crumple to the ground, that is why I hate snipers, I hate how easily they can take a life and how easily they can tear a family in too, NCIS is my family"

Kate squeezed his hand comfortingly "we named Tali after her" he said "her full name is Talia Kaitlyn, Talia was the name of Ziva's little sister, she died in a bomb explosion" Kate smiled "Livie's full name is Olivia Johanna" she said "after my mom" he gave her a weak smile "and isn't April's full name April Christine" he said "after Brennan's mom" she nodded "we all named out children after strong people who meant a lot to us, and our children are strong" he said looking at her "they are going to get through this, together, because they are going to keep their namesakes memories alive" Kate nodded and for a moment she felt slightly more confident.

They headed back down in time to see Ziva exiting the office, she looked tired but worried, though she relaxed when she saw Aiden with Tony, Gibbs appeared through the door just then holding a large bag of food, he moved over and kissed Ziva's head "I stopped by your home" he said "picked up some things for you and saw to the dog" Ziva smiled "thank you" she whispered, he nodded and hugged her gently.

Kate saw Rick standing in the doorway looking at her, slowly she moved over to hug him tightly, he rubbed her back comfortingly holding her tight, her phone dinged then and she pulled it out to see that she had a text from Lanie saying that they hadn't been able to get a flight at such short notice but they were driving down now, so they would be here by this evening at the earliest and she asked if they had heard anything, Kate responded that they had heard nothing and to drive safe, then she looked at Rick who kissed her gently "you ok" he asked "been better" she mumbled and he smiled weakly at her.

They moved back into the office and placed the food Gibbs had bought on the table, by now, Brennan and Booth were awake, as was Libby, the little girl was sitting on the sofa not speaking, staring at the floor, it took a while for them to persuade her to eat.

They all sat quietly picking at the food, nobody felt like eating. Once they had all forced as much as they could bear to stomach down they turned back to the boards looking at what they had, when your children were missing it looked like even less than before. "right" Gibbs said, taking over point as the only leader without a child missing though they could still see the pain in his eyes "we know the barstard is watching us, so until McGee puts up extra firewalls we don't use computers ok" everyone nodded "so" he said "what do we have"

"security tapes from the fairground" Tony said quietly holding up some DVDs "you ok to watch them" Gibbs asked, he nodded and stood heading over to a TV in the corner and he slotted the disk in and picked up the remote, he sat down and stared at the screen, slowly Rick moved over and sat down next to him to help.

"anything else" Gibbs asked "evidence" Booth said "the crime scene guys collected it from the bench and the places where we found the phones, Hodgins can run it, and why don't you bring your forensic scientist in" Gibbs nodded "Ziver" he said pronouncing Ziva's name in a way she only let him use, he looked at her with his bright blue eyes "why don't you call Abby" he said softly, she nodded and slowly stood, she placed AJ on the rug in the middle of the room with some toys before heading out of the room pulling out her phone.

"McGee put the best firewalls you can up" Gibbs said "then I want you to get traffic camera footage from anywhere around the fairground ok" McGee nodded and got to work. Quietly Brennan got up and headed towards the platform to work on the remains, no doubt to keep herself busy and Cam and Hodgins headed off to do their work too, Booth disappeared to call Sweets and get him to update his profile of their guy. Kate sighed before she moved over to sit with Rick and watch the footage, she saw Alexis slide onto the seat beside Libby to try and comfort the little girl and keep an eye on AJ for them.

They sat and watched the footage waiting for their daughters to appear and slowly they plotted the timeline of where they had gone, and they even watched the first part of their abduction, Tali swinging punch after punch, launching herself frantically at the men holding her friends assisting them to free themselves before the three of them bolted away from their abductors into the woods, the only way to get away. There had been no cameras where they had found Tali's knife and the tyre tracks, but they had taken a mould of them and hopefully when the NCIS forensic scientist Abby Sciuto arrived she would be able to tell them the make and model of the tyre and to which type of car they belonged to.

XOXOXO

They watched the footage from the fairground and traffic camera's for hours, barely stopping, they didn't notice the time slipping away until they heard a cry of "Kate" and Kate leapt up whirling round to see Lanie, Ryan and Esposito coming in followed by Booth who had obviously gone to gain them clearance.

Kate ran out of the office and the moment she saw her Lanie rushed forward catching her up into a big hug, the tears came out again as she hugged her best friend tightly as she whispered words of comfort, then Lanie stepped back allowing Ryan and Esposito to hug her murmuring comfortingly to her, she was surprised by how much better she felt now that they were here.

They made their introductions to everyone also meeting Abby Sciuto when she came in, she rushed straight over to Hodgins who looked shocked by the young Gothic scientist but accepted her help willingly.

Everyone went back into the office where to everyone's surprise Esposito went straight over to Libby and introduced himself to her, she sat and looked at him as he began to speak gently to her, but after a couple of minutes everyone was relieved to see a small smile creep onto her face and she quietly began to talk to him, Espo really had a way with kids when he wanted too, Kate decided

XOXOXO

Kate groaned in frustration and paced back and forth in Brennan's office, she had come in here for some privacy to think, the pain had subsided now, mostly she was now angry and frustrated, determined to get her daughter and the other two girls back. They had been missing nearly 48 hours and despite them pulling in every resource they had between them, they were nowhere closer to finding them than they had been before this whole mess started.

Her phone rang just then and she pulled it out expecting it to be Ryan or Esposito telling her that they had found nothing in their interviews and were on their way back, but it wasn't and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name flashing on the screen, she almost punched the answer button gasping "Livie, Livie can you hear me Livie" there was no response "Livie" she tried again "no" said a deep smooth almost gentle voice "guess again"

Kate took a choking breath unable to speak, "how are you coping Kate" the voice asked "I bet you are missing your little girl loads, I bet you all are, I am sorry that I have to keep them from you, they are sweet girls really if you know how to keep them in line" Kate clutched the phone "where are they" she demanded "oh they are right here and unharmed aren't you my dears" "I want to talk to them" Kate demanded angrily "hmm no, not talk but check your phone" Kate pulled the phone away from her ear and saw that she had received a picture, trembling she clicked on to and gasped.

It showed the three girls crouched on the floor huddled protectively together, to her relief they were alive and relatively unharmed, Tali had a huge bruise on her forehead and a split lip, April had a slightly blackened eye, as for Livie, she looked the least harmed physically with a couple of marks where she might have been slapped but mentally she had been beaten, Kate could see that, her daughter was staring at the camera tears of misery still dribbling down her cheeks and her face was filled with shock and denial though Kate was not sure what about, they were all glowering at the camera, angry at their abductor, they were covered in dirt and hungry looking cowering together to protect each other from the cold.

Slowly she placed the phone back to her ear in time to see him say "see they are fine, all of them", she swallowed nervously "what do you want from us to get them back" she heard him chuckle "ah that was easy, tell me Kate do the others know you are talking to me, now don't lie remember I have them right here" Kate looked out into the lab, the others were in Angela's office "no" she said "they don't know I am talking to you, I am alone at the moment" "good" he praised "keep it that way" she sank onto the sofa as he continued "I want you to meet with me Kate, I want you and only you to meet me without the other's knowledge, I will discuss what I want in return for your girls then ok, you don't come and your little one will get hurt before the others"

Kate bit her lip, she could hear sounds in the background, it sounded like Livie crying out 'no', he snapped at her "shut up", quickly to divert him away from her daughter she said "I will meet with you, where and when" he laughed in delight "good girl Katie, you are doing the right thing, I will meet you by the reflecting pool in one hour, tell no one or I may have to hurt one of these little ones and they might come home with one less digit" "don't touch them" Kate snapped "any of them" he laughed again "aw very protective mama bear there Kate" he said "do you agree to the meeting" "I do" she said

"good" he said sounding very pleased "very good, now come unarmed as well, no guns no knives no nothing ok, and no phone, leave your phone at the lab if you would please" "fine" Kate snapped "anything else" "no that will do" he said lightly "see you alone in an hour Katie" and he hung up.

Kate slowly ended the call before she looked at the picture she had been sent, she stared at the faces of the three girls, sitting on the floor, Tony was right when he said that the three of them would look after each other, they clung to each other and April had positioned herself slightly in front of the other two, defensively, she was protecting her younger friends, Livie was holding onto Tali supporting the youngest who had obviously put up the most of a fight, but Tali was still tense ready to fight if need be, to protect her friends.

She sighed as she looked at them, then she lowered her phone to the table and placed it carefully on the hard surface, then she picked up a pen and a piece of paper and slowly began to write, when she was done she folded it up and placed it next to her phone, then she took her coat and slowly left the office, she paused as the doors swished open to allow her to leave and studied the group assembled, they were looking at traffic camera footage trying to spot their daughters in it, she sighed, they had become great friends to her and she was going to miss them when this thing ended, so she slipped out oblivious to them all, to go try help their daughters.

XO

Tali looked up at him as he hung up Livie's phone, his usual smug happy self, he grinned happily at Livie "that went well" he said, then he moved forward towards them and grabbed Livie pulling her away from them "stay back" he growled at Tali and April and he glared at them warningly as he produced a bunch of keys and proceeded to unlock the cuff around Livie's ankle.

Livie looked up in terror then something else flashed in her eye and her hand slowly slid up to her hair and they watched as it closed around something and came back down to her side, he finished unlocking her cuff he hauled her to her feet "where are you taking her" Tali shouted, he didn't respond he just began to drag her out, Livie struggled desperately before turning and tossing something back into the room towards Tali, instantly Tali reached out and caught hold if it closing her hand around it before bringing it back in as he turned around to glower at them before dragging Livie clear of the door and slamming it shut.

"Livie" they both shouted leaping up and running at the door as far as their chain would let them "dam it" April shouted angrily "we have to help her" Tali shouted "how, we can't even help ourselves" April shouted back, "that might not be true" Tali said quietly and April turned to look at her as Tali opened her hand and they both saw what Livie had risked her safety throwing at them.

A single bobby pin.

XO

Kate pulled up her car at the reflecting pool and sat for a minute breathing deeply, she looked down at her left hand and began to slowly twist her wedding rings around her finger nervously until the clock struck five to the hour and she slowly climbed out of the car and walked towards the pool, when she got there she stood at one end staring at the strip of reflective surface, showing the moon and the stars, she looked around, this was where it had all began, where they had first met NCIS and only a few hours later the Jeffersonion team, this was where it had begun, and this was where it would end.

She heard the sound of someone approaching and made to turn but before she could she was grabbed from behind and something suddenly restricted her airway as her attacker used a cord or something to throttle her, she gasped her hands going up to grab at it as she struggled, but he held the cord tightly pulling her body against his, and no matter how hard she scrabbled clawing at it she couldn't loosen it.

Just when she was beginning to think she would die here without getting to say goodbye to her little girl a voice spoke softly in her ear "I am glad you came Katie Kat, it has been to long", then the cord loosened and she fell to the floor unable to move as she sucked in great lungful's of air, weakly she shifted trying to roll over to see his face but it was shadowed by the hood he was wearing as he bent over her, he chuckled at her as he bent and lifted her up and to her horror he began to carry her off towards the road, she struggled weakly but to no avail, he carried her towards a big black SUV and opened the boot and placed her inside, he bound her wrists behind her back and placed a gag in her mouth, then he picked up a cloth and tied it over her eyes, blindfolding her.

Frantically she struggled and she heard him sigh "stop struggling Katie Kat, I am taking you to see your daughter" gasping through the gag though she continued to struggle until something was placed over her mouth and nose and the boot of the SUV lurched as the world spun, dizzy she fell still and she heard him chuckle "good girl" he said "now relax and get comfortable my darling, enjoy the journey" she heard the boot get slammed shut and felt the engine start underneath her and the car pulled away, she felt a tear of despair slide down her cheek and more soon followed until dizzy and weak she closed her eyes and fell unconscious.

XO

She awoke not long later and instantly realised they were no longer on the road, they were driving down an uneven dirt track that made the car shake, jerking her around, struggling to stay calm she struggled weakly straining against her bonds, trying to shift the blindfold but it had been tied on tight, everything was tight, the ropes bit into her wrists and the gag dug into the corners of her mouth.

She was still struggling when the car came to a sudden stop slamming her against the back seats knocking the air out of her, winded but still determined she continued to struggle until she heard the boot open and cold night air rushed in, she felt him grab her arm and she was jerked roughly out of the car to her feet, she stumbled and tried to get away but he held her tight, shutting the boot before he began to drag her forward, blindly she was lead forward into a building where she was thrown into a chair, she felt the gag come away and instantly she sucked in a deep breath ready to scream "don't bother Katie Kat" he said calmly "no one can hear you way out here" she dropped her head gasping until the blindfold was removed and she looked up at him terrified staring at him, he smiled at her and stood there as though he was waiting for something.

"where are they" she demanded "where are the girls" he looked at her for a minute before he leaned forward and grabbed her, yanking her up and he dragged her over to a corner where he pulled aside a rug to reveal a trap door, he opened it and forced her down the steps, she staggered and stumbled but he held her up, preventing her from falling, he led her to a door and pulled out some keys and slotted one into the door unlocking it, then she felt the ropes around her wrists being untied before he pushed the door open throwing her in, she heard to identical cries of "Kate" and she looked up as two girls rushed at her.

"April" she breathed in relief "Tali" she caught hold of them both pulling them into her arms hugging them both tightly as she heard the door shut and lock behind her. They hugged her tightly and she hugged them back relieved to know that they were alive "are you ok" she asked and she felt them nod before she pulled away to examine them gently examining their cuts and bruises "we're ok Kate" April mumbled, she looked at them "has he done anything else to you" he asked, to her relief they shook their heads.

Then she looked around "where's Livie" she asked quietly trying to keep the worry out of her voice, Tali and April looked at her and she could see the fear and worry in their eyes "he took her out of here" Tali said quietly and for the first time she looked scared, an average 13 year old girl rather than the one who had been broken and forced to fight, "he took her out of here after he hung up with you", Kate looked at them and sighed

"Kate" Tali said, she looked at her "you shouldn't have come Kate" she whispered. Kate looked at her "I had to" she said softly "I wasn't going to let him hurt any of you", April looked at her "we have been hurt before Kate" she said "we could have managed" Kate looked at them sadly "I wasn't going to take the risk" she whispered.

"You still shouldn't have come Kate" April said "why not" she asked, they both looked at her indecision on their faces, they knew something she didn't, they wanted to tell her, they just didn't know how too. They were saved by the door opening and he entered again, instantly Kate stood in front of the two girls, he looked at her "how sweet of you Katie Kat" he said "to protect to girls you barely know" she glared at him "now why don't you come with me darling" she stared at him as he held out his hand and came forward "come on" he coaxed "let's leave these two alone shall we" she stared at him breathing hard before she took an uncertain step forward, instantly April and Tali leapt forward "no Kate" Tali cried grabbing her arm as April leapt in front of her "leave her alone" she snapped "she is not yours anymore"

Before Kate could work out what April had meant by that he struck her hard across the cheek with an angry snarl, sending her flying, he moved towards Tali who was still clinging to Kate, but Kate pushed her back "no" she shouted raising her arms in front of them "I will come" she said defiantly and he stopped. Kate turned and moved towards April who was pushing herself into a sitting position dragging Tali behind her.

She caught hold of April "look at me" she said and slowly the girl did so, Kate looked at her gently "I will be fine" she said quietly "your parents will find you ok" April nodded "look after each other" Kate whispered gently kissing their foreheads "and Livie" they both nodded at her and she gave them the most convincing smile she could muster before she turned to look at him, he held out his hand to her but she ignored it and walked past him, into the hallway, he caught hold of her shoulder as he locked the door but she didn't fight him.

Then he pushed her forward and unlocked another door pushing her in so that she fell, she stumbled to catch herself, that was when she saw the small figure curled up by the wall with her back to them, lying unmoving.

"Livie" she breathed and she stumbled forward until she heard a click, then she froze "no closer or I shoot" he warned and slowly she turned round to stare at him pointing the gun at her, she glanced down at Livie, her daughter wasn't moving, she lay there eyes closed, breathing slowly and deeply, she looked back at their captor "what did you do to her" she snarled, he raised his eyebrows "I simply gave her a drug to get her to calm down, she wasn't very happy when I took her away from her friends and told her that I was going to go get you, she started screaming bloody murder at me, I didn't want her to hurt herself so I knocked her out with a drug, it should be wearing off soon"

He moved towards her but she raised a hand "stay back" she hissed as he approached, and suddenly he smiled "ah same feisty attitude is still there Katie Kat" she stared at him "what" she said, "you don't remember me do you my darling" he said, she stared at him in confusion as he approached again "don't come any closer" she warned, he laughed "oh Kate the last time I saw you, you were asking me to get closer" he smiled at her "a lot closer". Kate stared at him and then suddenly it hit her and she gasped as the memories came flooding back, the passion, the love, the laughter, the smiles, the feeling that she had with him that she was the only girl in the world. Until her life changed and when she needed him most, he left her and not only her.

"Adam" she gasped in shock and his smile widened "long times no see Katie Kat" he said grinning, her breathing got faster and faster as she stared at him in shock, he leered at her "you're looking good Detective Kate Beckett" he paused "or is it Detective Kate Castle now".

She didn't respond, she just stared at him before finding her voice "what the hell Adam" she screamed "you abandoned me, you kill people for a living, you tried to kill me, you start killing people for the fun of it, to tease us, you kidnapped three girls…oh". She remembered her daughter still lying behind her and she whirled round to face her.

The pain her daughter had had written across her face in the picture, the confusion and denial, April and Tali wanting to tell her something but not knowing how to. Kate felt tears trickle down her cheeks, she saw Adam smirking "you told her" she whispered, she was horrified, she had never told Livie, to protect her from him, he had always had a temper, she didn't want him anywhere near her daughter. She whirled round to face him again "what did you tell her" she hissed, "oh I told her everything" he said "about how we were in love, about how you became pregnant at 18, how you told me you didn't want our baby, how you were going to turn your back on her and give her away like some animal"

Kate stared at him angrily as he stared at her, neither of them noticed that Livie had begun to stir, her eyelids fluttering, she lay still though when she heard the voices above her.

"did you tell her about how you turned your back on us" Kate hissed "how you left me the moment you found out I was pregnant" he smiled "yes" he said calmly "I told her that", he looked at Livie "I told her how she was an accident, how you were distraught when you found out you were pregnant" "I was 18 years old" Kate snarled "I had nothing, nowhere to live, no means of supporting myself, there was no way I could have cared for a baby, no thanks to you" she glared at him "I needed you Adam, I needed your help, but you turned your back on me and treated me like trash the moment I told you" he smiled "I was young too Kate" he said "young and eager to get every life experience, a baby would have held me back" he looked at her "I mean look at you, you could have been anything but no, you became a cop, talk about taking any job you could get"

"I wanted to be a cop" Kate shouted "I wanted to help people, to catch the bad guys like you and stop them hurting more people" "bang up job you have done of catching me" he said "I believe it is the other way round, I caught you" she glared at him angrily "you are a coward Adam" she said "taking three young girls because you were afraid of us, that is nothing but cowardly" he looked at her "I am not a coward Katie Kat" "stop calling me that" she screamed, he ignored her and carried on "I am not a coward, I think I was rather inventive myself, I wanted you Katie, I wanted you and obviously the easiest way to get you is through your daughter, I admit yes the others were getting close, and I took the other two girls as leverage, but now that I have you, I have no further use for them"

Kate stared at him; he wasn't seriously going to kill April and Tali was he? "What do you want with me" she asked, instantly he moved forward catching hold of her "I want you to acknowledge that she is mine" he said forcing her head round to look at Livie, "I want her to be mine, I want to be able to see her, I have a right to do so, I mean I am her father" Kate glared at him "maybe you should have thought about that before you walked out on her before she was even born" she hissed "you have done nothing for her for the past 14 years, why do you want her all of a sudden"

"Because she is mine" he said simply, she stared at him before realising what he meant "you are jealous" she said, he snorted "why would I be jealous" he said, "because you found out I got married" she said "you were always very possessive of what you considered to be yours, and now that I have found someone you are possessive" he looked at her "might have had a part to play in it" he said "but actually the main reason I never had anything to do with her for 14 years was because I didn't know you were going to keep her, you told me you would get rid of her, then I was asked to kill you, I tracked you down and saw her, and realised you had kept her" Kate stared at him "you really think that I am going to let you be a part of her life" she said "after you killed people and kidnapped her and drugged her, you are crazy Adam" he looked at her "we shall see" he said "have you ever considered that she might want a father"

Kate stared at him and he smiled "I had better go check on the others" he said "don't you touch them" Kate snapped at him, he smiled at her "I won't" he said "not yet anyway" and with that he left, locking the door firmly behind him.

Instantly Kate flung herself down on her knees beside her daughter, gently reaching out to brush hair out of her face, tears were streaming down her cheeks as she stroked her little girl's cheek, she was icy cold to the touch. She let out a sob and placed her head in her hands and cried, but not for herself, for her innocent little girl.

"mommy" she looked over as Livie slowly rolled onto her back blinking groggily up at her, "oh Livie" she gasped and instantly she pulled Livie up into her arms hugging her tightly as Livie weakly clung to her, "no you shouldn't have come" Livie sobbed, "I know" Kate whispered stroking her hair "but I had to honey" Livie clung to her before pulling away "so it's true" she whispered, Kate looked at her miserably "yes it is true" she whispered, Livie's face crumpled "I was hoping it wasn't true" she whispered "I wish it wasn't true too Livs" Kate whispered as Livie's shoulders wracked with sobs "I really wish it wasn't true"

They sat there clinging to each other before Livie sighed "so everything he told me was true" she said, she looked up at her mom "I heard you two arguing just now" she mumbled, Kate blinked back tears "yes" she whispered "I won't lie to you anymore Livie" her daughter looked up at her "you have never lied to me about him mommy" she whispered back "you protected me from him" Kate sighed and looked at her little girl.

"you have heard his side" she said softly "do you want to hear the truth, or my side of what happened, I won't lie, I will tell you everything baby, if you want to know" Livie looked at her "he didn't force you did he" she asked her eyes wide, Kate hurriedly shook her head "no" she said "when I knew him he was a kind sweet loving man, I thought I was in love with him" Livie looked at her "yes" she said "I would like to know" Kate took a deep breath and nodded, she kissed the top of her daughter's head before she leaned back against the wall and whispered "I will tell you my story…"

**Hope you liked it, next time we get the truth about Kate's past...**

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**Thanks**

**Mysticgirl**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone, thanks for all the previous reviews, please keep them coming, hope you like this one.**

Chapter 11

"I met Adam Wesley three weeks after my 18th birthday, he arrived at my school and instantly came to me, he was charming and gracious, and I was rather dazzled by him. We went out for 6 weeks before I brought him home to meet my parents, I really liked him and they had been badgering me for a few weeks now to bring my mystery man over to meet them, they wanted to meet him. So I brought Adam over for dinner one night, he and my dad got on fine, talking happily about sports, be he and my mom, they never clicked, he didn't try but for some reason the moment she saw him she didn't like him.

I asked her about him later and she told me that she wasn't sure, I was upset, I thought I loved him and I was desperate for her to be proud of me and to accept him, she tried for me, but she never liked him.

We had been going out for two months when I … slept with him, it was amazing, and my first time, I loved it and I loved him or so I thought. Four weeks later I realised I was late and took a test and it came back positive. I won't lie Livie when I found out I was pregnant I was terrified and I cried for a long time, but I was 18 years old still in my education, I had no means of supporting you, I considered abortion but the moment I thought about killing my baby, my innocent little baby I realised I couldn't, I hated even the idea of it. I thought long and hard and decided it would be best for you if I put you up for adoption, where you could be taken in by some family who would love you and care for you, and give you everything you deserved.

I told Adam a few days later, I thought he would understand, and he would be there for me throughout my pregnancy but I was wrong. He was furious when I told him, he screamed at me, told me not to be stupid and to get rid of you, I was frightened but I told him no and that I would give you up for adoption, I wasn't going to kill you, he was mad, he hit me. I ran from him and I ran back home and locked myself in my room. I never heard from him again.

I didn't tell my parents, I was terrified of what they would think and I struggled to hide it, I told them that Adam and I had broken up and that I wanted nothing more to do with him, and for a few weeks everything was fine, then I got morning sickness, my mom found me crouching over the toilet throwing up and crying, I didn't even tell her, she just knew when she saw me, she came in and wrapped her arms around me and held me as I cried, she told me that everything was going to be ok and that she would be there for me throughout it. She agreed with my decision to give you away, I was way too young to be a mom. She told my dad for me and he was shocked but they both supported me, I was grateful to them.

It was hard being pregnant at 18 everywhere I went when I began to show I got stared at, I got dirty looks and whispers behind my back, I hated it, I was called names but I carried on and refused to let it get me down. Eventually though I stopped going to school, I couldn't take it, my parents understood and helped me get through it.

When I went into labour I very nearly regretted my decision to keep you, god I can remember it to this day it was so painful, my mom didn't leave my side throughout it though, she held me tight and promised me that everything would be ok, she told me what to do and after 9 hours you came out screaming bloody murder, I was exhausted but pleased that I had managed to birth you, I wasn't planning to hold you, I didn't want to have to say goodbye, then the nurse came over with you still howling at the top of your lungs, she asked me if I wanted to hold my daughter, I just stared at her before nodding and she placed you in my arms.

I was surprised, you were tiny yet you made more noise than I ever thought possible, I remember bouncing you gently and shushing you and to my surprise you stopped crying, you just lay there and then you opened your eyes and looked at me, you looked at me straight in the eyes with your little blue ones and I felt stunned, I felt a warmth spreading through my chest, love I realised, so strong, I looked at you and you looked at me and then you just closed your eyes and fell asleep in my arms cuddled up against me.

I looked at you long and hard and didn't see a hint of Adam in you, after he left me I was certain that I didn't want to keep you because you would be too much of a reminder of what he did to me, but I looked at you and there was nothing of him in you, my mom said you were an exact copy of me when I was born, I looked at you and I realised that I couldn't give you away, you were mine, my daughter, I didn't want someone else to raise you as theirs, I wanted you.

My mom told me that the people from the adoption agency were outside ready to come and take you and I burst into tears and clung to you, I said no they weren't taking you, I wanted to keep you, she looked at me and gently told me that I wouldn't be able to support you, and I said I didn't care, you were my daughter and I couldn't let you go, I would work to support you, drop out of college if I had too, I just didn't want to watch you get taken away. My mom looked at me and then she hugged me and told me that I was not under any circumstances to drop out of college, I had to work hard and get my degrees so I could get a good job and care for you properly, and she and dad would help, they would help me take care of you until I had a job and was ready to raise you on my own.

I was so grateful and vowed that I would do them proud and show them that I was capable of raising you, I got up to you every time you cried in the night until I couldn't even pull myself out of bed, my mom was slightly mad at me then because I was so tired during the day, so we set up a rota and I had to stick to it, though she took many of my shifts, it was thanks to her that I didn't have to drop out of college.

I did get jobs to get some money, my mom and dad helped pay for what you needed but what I earned I spent on little things for you, toys and outfits, I wanted you to be happy though it didn't take much to please you, you were the happiest baby I knew and smiled at everyone, everyone who met you fell in love with you, even my friends, they frowned at me when they found out I was a mom but when they met you they loved you, Madison especially. I worked constantly over the weekends working on my college work when you were sleeping and caring for you when you were not, when I was working my mom or dad cared for you, you were very loved I have to say.

You were nearly one when my mom died, I had gone to college then, I came home regularly to see you but for a few months I stayed at the college to make things easier for me and my mom and dad raised you, I didn't like it but it improved my grades enough to get me the into the classes I wanted to do for law. I had come home and we were going out to dinner, mom had been working late that day so dad met me with you at the restaurant and she was meant to join us, we waited as long as we could feeding you when you got cranky and trying to keep you entertained, eventually we had to order and we had our meal before heading home. That was when we found a homicide detective named John Raglin sitting on our doorstep waiting for us, and he told us that my mom had been murdered in random gang violence because it was not robbery as her purse and jewellery were still there, I didn't believe him, you know why.

I was terrified; I didn't know what I was going to do now, my mom was the main reason that I was able to stay at school, my dad turned to alcohol and became depressed, I couldn't leave you with him, so I had to send you to day-care even though that was something I really didn't want to, I left law school to join the police academy because I wanted to help people, help them get the closure that my father and I never got.

I swear to you Livie that is the truth, yes I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant, yes I planned to give you away, but that was because I thought it would be best for you if I did, but Livie every night when I put you to bed and every time I hold you in my arms I thank god that I made the right choice and didn't get rid of you, that year, that was the best decision I made"

XO

Livie was silent all the way through her tale and as she finished she remained silent, Kate fell quiet too unsure of how she would react, then Livie looked up at her and hugged her tightly again, Kate held Livie tightly back kissing the top of her head gently "thank you" Livie mumbled, Kate looked at her daughter "for what" she asked, Livie looked at her "for everything" she said "you gave up so much because of me, you could have been an amazingly rich lawyer by now, but you didn't aim for the top because you had me to care for, you have done so much for me, you spend all your money on me, paying for me to go riding and buying me things, you give up what little free time you have to take me places and keep me entertained"

She looked at her mom "whether I was planned or not, or the fact that you wanted to get rid of me does not change the fact that you are my mom and you kept me, giving up everything for me, I don't care if I was an accident, I love you mom, always" Kate blinked back tears as she pulled Livie back into her arms "I don't have a single regret when it comes to you Livie" she whispered "you are the best thing that has come out of my life" Livie clung to her cuddling up to her "sorry I shouted at you before this happened" Kate mumbled, Livie looked up at her "forget about it" she said "I have" Kate kissed her forehead again lovingly and they sat there together hugging each other tightly.

Kate realised then that Livie was shivering, it was cold down here and Livie didn't have her coat with her, she unbuttoned her own and shrugged out of it "no mom" Livie protested as she wrapped her daughter in her coat "you need it" Kate looked at her "right now you need it more than me" she said firmly and she tugged the coat tightly round Livie hugging her tightly rubbing her arms trying to warm her up a bit, slowly Livie's shivering subsided slightly and that was when Kate began to feel the cold bite in the air, she suppressed a shiver and hugged Livie tightly.

Livie shifted and that was when Kate noticed the chain around her ankle snaking off up the wall to a ring, preventing her little daughter from leaving, Livie saw her looking "we have all been chained since we arrived" she said softly, she looked at her mom "you're not" she said "you could run if you got the chance" Kate looked at her daughter, Adam knew that he didn't need to chain her, as long as Livie was chained she was chained, she wouldn't be going anywhere without Livie.

XOXO

Booth groaned as they began the video again after losing the girls not far into it, they had been tracking their daughters' path through DC to the fair looking for any suspicious activity but they kept losing them in the crowds and having to start again, they were just getting to the part where they kept losing them when suddenly the TV turned off, they all spun round with an exclamation to see Gibbs standing there holding the cable "enough" he said "you are going to kill yourselves and then what, you can't get your girls back if you work yourselves to death now can you", they all made to protest but he glared at them.

Tony sighed knowing his boss wasn't going to give up so easily "fine" he said "we will stop for the night but we are sleeping here ok" Gibbs nodded " I guessed you would say that" he said "so everyone stop working and relax ok, Booth go get Brennan to stop staring at the same bone she has been staring at for half an hour now" Booth winced and nodded heading out the room "writer man where is Kate" Gibbs asked "in Dr Brennan's office the last I saw" Rick said "she was trying to think in peace" "Alexis" Gibbs said "why don't you go get her honey"

Alexis nodded and headed towards Brennan's office where to her surprise she found it empty, "Kate" she called uncertainly slipping in to check that she wasn't asleep on the couch, but the office was empty, she was just about to leave when she noticed Kate's phone sitting on the table next to a piece of folded paper, she frowned confused and went and picked the paper up opening it and reading what it said. She stared at the words horrified before grabbing her phone and opening it, it came up exactly how Kate had left it; on the picture of the three girls.

She let out a loud cry of horror that made everyone freeze before sprinting off towards the sound of her cry as she rushed out, Rick caught hold of her "what he said urgently "what's wrong" tears were trickling down her cheeks as she leaned against her father and cried out "she's gone" Rick frowned and bent to look at her "what do you mean" he asked "who's gone", "Kate" Alexis sobbed and held out the note, Booth took it and read it before his face darkened and he swore loudly, Tony grabbed the note from him and read it out loud:

_Hey guys_

_I know you are going to be mad at me when you realise what I have done, just know that I did it for our children. He asked me to meet him, alone and unarmed without your knowledge to arrange an exchange, but I don't think that is his intention, he asked for me to bring nothing, he said that if I didn't do as he said he would hurt the girls; I wasn't going to let anything happen to them._

_I don't know what will happen to me and to be honest I don't care, as long as it helps the girls, I was lucky to survive this man once, more than any of the other victims, if this is why I managed to, so I could protect our children then so be it._

_These girls are really something special, I am not going to let them die, I don't think we realised how amazing they are together, through them our teams became truly united, they showed us that we can work together and get along as well. I will do whatever it takes to get them free, they will do something great with their lives I know it._

_I just want to say thanks, working with you all has been an amazing experience, one that I will never forget, we were good, look at how close we came, keep the unity, no matter what, never give up_

Tony paused and looked at Rick "there is more" he said softly "it is addressed to you"; he held out the paper and slowly Rick reached out and took it, the paper was marked, dotted with tears.

_Rick_

_Don't be mad, you know I had to do this, not just for Livie, for April and Tali too, something tells me, there is more to this man than meets the eye. I will make him release the girls, promise me you will take care of Livie should… something happen to me, you are the only person I trust to raise my little girl, make sure she does not pine for me, tell her that I love her and will be with her always._

_Tell Alexis that these past months getting to be a mom to her have been amazing, she is the most wonderful girl Rick, really something special, she has so much heart, never let her lose that, she is the perfect big sister that I always wished for Livie and the kind of girl I would have loved for a sister growing up, take care of her Rick, always._

_I don't know really what to say to you, nothing I can say will be enough, you have done so much for me over the years, especially since you found out about Livie, you were there for me and her when we needed you most, and you showed me that it was safe to fall in love again, and I did, with you, the most amazing man I have ever known, I have treasured these past few months with you, being your wife was amazing, I meant what I said when I was a one and done girl, you are my one._

_I love you Rick so much, don't ever forget that, there will always be a part of me with you, in Livie, look after yourself Rick. Love_

_Always_

_Kate xx_

Rick fought back tears as he read that and he clung to Alexis tighter, she was crying hard, everyone was standing there shocked, realising that Kate had sacrificed herself for their children, "ok never mind stopping for the night" Booth said "come on, McGee I need you to get security footage from the Jeffersonion so we know what time she left it and then we can follow her car, if he has her we need to know where he took her, before he tries to kill her again" everyone nodded and rushed back to the office. Booth looked at Rick and Alexis still standing there "I am sorry" he said "I really am" they both nodded and he left giving them a minute to morn for their family.

XOXOXO

April leaned against the wall sitting next to Tali listening, Kate was screaming in anger, obviously she had just figured out who their abductor was, Tali had gone very silent, her hand still closed round Livie's hair pin, "why do you think he brought Kate here" Tali asked quietly, April looked into her greenie gold eyes "I don't know" she said even though she had a pretty good idea "but they'll be ok". She put her arm around Tali and the 13 year old girl leaned against her for comfort, when she couldn't fight, she wasn't the little ninja, she was just Tali.

They listened to Kate, she was angry and frightened they could tell, she was shouting that she had been 18 years old there was no way that she could raise a child, then that she wanted to be a cop so she could catch bad guys like him, their captor laughed at that and said she was doing a bang up job as she hadn't caught him, he had caught her, angry she called him a coward, he called her Katie Kat, she screamed at him not to call her that, he ignored her, then there was the sound of him leaving and they heard him approaching and Tali stuffed the hair pin up her sleeve as he entered and smiled at them.

"how are you my darlings" he asked, they both glowered at him "sorry about the noise" he said "Katie Kat always over reacts" "yeah she is really over reacting in this situation" April said dryly, he smiled "you two really have fire in your hearts don't you" he said, they both simply glowered at him, he looked at April "I looked you up, mommy and daddy dated in secret, mommy got pregnant, had you, you grew up learning all about what mommy and daddy did didn't you, you learned all about the bones in the body, daddy very protective of you, his little girl, but he couldn't protect you from a kidnapper could he" "shut up" April snapped, he just laughed "daddy really couldn't protect you could he, and mommy didn't even realise you were missing, poor sweet April, then you took a bullet for your daddy, did he deserve it honey" April lunged at him snarling but Tali grabbed her using all her strength to stop her, whilst he just laughed.

He looked at Tali then "trained not long ago by Mossad, very good my sweet, no wonder you fight so well, your mother was Mossad too right, I looked your family up, your mommy is very pretty honey, I bet you are a lot like her" Tali stared at him before letting out a stream of Hebrew curses that April was glad they didn't understand, it might make him mad, he just laughed at her "yes my sweet, I know all about your mother and your father though your mother interests me more, daughter of the Director of Mossad Eli David, only surviving child, left Mossad to join NCIS, a few years later she went back didn't she, but not for long, she was sent on a suicide mission to Somalia yes, captured, tortured and held for months before she was rescued by your father, few years later she got knocked up by him and you arrived, and daddy David disowned her correct" Tali glared at him "mommy's messed up past caught up with you too didn't it, you were taken too, before you escaped only to get caught again this time with mommy and daddy" Tali stared "how did you get all of this information" she snarled

He laughed "you think your uncle McGee is a good hacker don't you, well I don't just kill for a living sweetheart, I hack, and it wasn't that hard to access all your secure files honey once I knew what I was looking for, I got everything about you" he looked at them "you know everyone says you two and my daughter are very similar because of your lives and your pasts, but there is another similarity" he grinned "you are all accidents, unplanned for, mistakes" this time it was April who had to grab Tali but he struck her anyhow sending her flying backwards, he laughed happily before pulling out Livie's phone "now smile" he said "I want to show your panicking parents how you are settling in, they stared at the phone in frustration and he smiled "good" he said, "the lighting in here, it is very artistic, makes the bruises look worse than they are" and with that he left.

Tali looked at April, tears dribbling down her cheeks, April looked the same, Tali crawled over to her "it's ok" she said softly putting her arms around her shoulders "we are going to be ok, you know we are, our mom and dad will find us" April looked at her "I don't know it" she whispered "I know they won't stop trying, but I don't know if they will find us, I mean we must be in the middle of nowhere Tali, there is no traffic, no cold callers, nothing"

Tali looked at her "my uncle Gibbs has these rules that the team have to live by" she said leaning back against the wall "they aren't very good at following them, I mean my mom and dad broke rule 12" April looked at her questioningly "Never date a co-worker" she said, April smiled "he says that everyone needs some rules to live by, and we all do follow then as best we can, like rule 9 – never go anywhere without a knife, we are all pretty good at following that, and rule 15 – always work as a team, we have been doing that really well recently, but one that has kept me going every time I have been in this situation is Rule 8"

April looked up at her slowly "what is that" she asked, Tali smiled at her before she responded

"Never take anything for granted"

XOXOXO

Rick was in shock, Booth could see that, he had been sitting staring at the same spot for an hour now and you couldn't blame him, he had just lost his stepdaughter and the love of his life, he had his arms around Alexis as though afraid that if he let her go, she too might disappear.

They had been tracking Kate for a while now, watching her leave the Jeffersonion in the car they had rented, she had driven slowly towards the centre of DC and finally she stopped, they all tensed as they watched her sit in the car for a minute before she got out and walked slowly over to the reflecting pool, "Tony, Ziva, McGee" Gibbs said "you go get the car" they nodded but carried on watching as she paced back and forth nervously for a bit before she stood still staring at the water.

Rick looked up as he heard them speak and then he stood up looking at the footage, they all saw the pain in his eyes as they saw a shadowed figure rush forward and grab her from behind, wrapping a cord around her throat, they watched her struggle desperately before he released her and she fell to the ground, their killer bent and picked her up and carried her to a car "can you get a number plate" Booth asked anxiously, Ryan shook his head "too far away" he said unhappily as they watched Kate get placed in the boot and bound, then he shut the boot and got into his car and drove off.

Booth groaned "he just took her" he muttered, he had never been planning to negotiate a release with her, he just wanted to take her, but why her, was it to finish the job?

Just then Rick's phone dinged signalling the arrival of a text, weakly he pulled it out and looked at it, then he frowned in confusion before slowly clicking on the text, then his eyes widened and he let out a little moan and groaned "oh no" and he lowered his head, Gibbs gently took the phone from him and looked at the screen, then his eyes hardened "McGee" he said "never mind the car, put this up on the screen" McGee plugged the phone into the computer and an image came up, an image that made their hearts break to see and their anger for the killer increase.

It showed Kate, sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, in her arms was Livie, her little girl was curled up against her mother hiding her head from their captor, though they could see her peering out, her gentle brown eyes wide with worry, she clung to Kate and Kate clung to her daughter protectively, it looked like she was the one hiding Livie, trying anxiously to protect her, her body was shielding Livie desperately, Livie looked bad, she had run out without her coat and now although Kate had wrapped her in her own coat her skin had a bluish tinge to it, it was cold where they were, Kate looked cold too, but not as bad as Livie, she was glaring at their captor, a look of disgust and anger in her eyes, though her face was worried.

Rick let out a choking gasp as he stared at them, Alexis let out a small sob and Lanie moved over to comfort her, she too stared at her best friend in pain, and Ryan and Esposito stared at their boss in shock at the sight of her unarmed and defenceless, just then the phone dinged again signalling another text from 'Livie', slowly McGee opened it and a second image appeared next to the original, Angela instantly grabbed Libby lifting her up before she could see it and carried her out of the room.

This time it showed April and Tali, staring at the camera, they glared at it in frustration, angry obviously at their captor, Tali was half lying half sitting her body twisted defensively, eyes angry, but she wasn't their ninja, she was just Tali, a 13 year old girl, defensive but scared, Gibbs glanced at Tony and Ziva who were staring at their daughter, complete pain and misery written across their faces, he glanced at Brennan and Booth and saw the same look mirrored on their faces.

April was staring at the camera; her eyes were more pleading, asking for help, one hand reaching out to Tali, to comfort her. Her eye was slightly blackened from where she had been beaten and she was crouched showing her ripped jeans and torn top, neither looked better than the other.

They all stared at their children, and those they considered family, they didn't know why he had sent them these pictures, probably just to rub it in that he had them, and they had nothing.

**Hope you liked that.**

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**Thanks Mysticgirl101**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Kate glowered at Adam as he stood over them holding Livie's phone, "smile Katie Kat" he said "I thought I would let your husband know that you are alright" she continued to glower at him until he aimed the phone at them, she stared at the camera still clutching Livie tightly until he lowered it and began to type "to Rick" he said out loud "sending image", he grinned playfully at them "don't want the others to feel left out" he said "I'll send them a picture of their girls", he did do before smiling at them again "so Katie Kat" he said "don't call me that" Kate snarled, he just smiled before grabbing a chair and sitting down over them

"You married Richard Castle, your favourite author hey, was it for the money? You became his muse didn't you, I read his books, he really got you didn't he, perfectly, then you became his muse in another area didn't you, the bedroom" he laughed "nothing has changed in that department I'll bet, can't wait to read the new one" "go to hell" Kate spat, he grinned before looking at Livie

"hey sweetheart why you hiding that pretty face, come now honey you don't need to hide from me" Kate tightened her grip on Livie as she shifted uncertainly, the movement didn't escape Adam's notice "oh Katie Kat, you can't protect her from me, I am her father whether you like it or not, she is mine and you are mine" "No" Kate snarled "we are not yours"

He stared at her before suddenly grabbing Livie and yanking her away from Kate, who cried out "no" and leapt up after them, but Adam threw her back to the floor, she landed heavily but instantly turned to face them as he Adam stood over her holding Livie in a choke hold. "she is mine Kate" he shouted as Livie struggled frantically "by blood she is mine" he shouted and drew out a knife and caught hold of Livie's hand "no" Kate yelled as he drew the blade across her palm, Livie cried out in pain as crimson blood welled up forcing its way out of the cut, Kate screamed "no leave her alone" but he kept hold of her bringing her hand round to face Kate so that she could see the blood forcing its way out "that is my blood" he shouted "my blood runs through her veins Kate, she is my daughter" "please" Kate begged.

X

In the other room Tali and April listened uncertainly until they heard Kate crying out and then Livie yelling in pain, then April looked at Tali "hey" she said and Tali looked at her "I think it is time you showed me how to pick a lock" she said, Tali looked at her before nodding and she too out the bobby pin, she removed the little rubbery bit on the end before beckoning to April, April shifted and Tali caught hold of her cuff and carefully inserted the pin into it, she carefully twisted and a few seconds later there was a gentle click and the cuff fell open.

April pulled her leg free sighing in relief rubbing at her red ankle, trying to get the circulation going again as Tali freed herself "now what" Tali asked, April smiled "another reason why now is a good time" she said moving over to the door and she very carefully pushed it and Tali's eyes widened as it opened slightly "he didn't lock it" April whispered and inched the door open centimetre at a time until the gap was large enough for them to squeeze through, the shouting was louder now and they carefully crept along the passage until they reached the door and they peered in, uncertain of what to do now

X

Adam stared at Kate breathing hard before looking down at Livie still struggling in his arms, then he caught hold of her hair and used it to yank her head round so that her burns became visible."I have done something for her Katie Kat" he said softly, "I made sure that the barstard who did this would never hurt her again", Kate stared at him "what did you do" she whispered, he smiled at her, playing gently with Livie's hair as she struggled "I put a bullet through Tyler Paige's scull" he said calmly "for what he did to _my_ little girl", he looked at Livie who had tears in her eyes, with a smile he released her. Instantly Livie fell free back into Kate's arms and she clung to her tightly, whispering words of comfort to her even though tears were dribbling down her own cheeks.

Adam looked at them before bending down to Kate who pulled away, but all he did was brush away a few tears, "how you have changed Katie" he murmured looking at them soaking his fingers "I never saw those 14 years ago" "oh believe me, there were plenty after you left me" Kate snapped, he smiled at her before looking at Livie who was staring up at him in anger "oh sweetheart" he said "don't give your daddy that look", Livie continued to glower then her eyes flicked ever so briefly to the open door before they snapped back up to face him, Kate glanced at the door and felt her eyes widen as she saw April and Tali peering in looking terrified, instantly she looked back at Adam as Livie leapt to her feet suddenly glaring at him.

"no" she said suddenly "you have no right to call me your daughter, you lost that right when you walked out on my mom, you can tell me all these bad things about her, but that doesn't matter, I don't care if I was an accident, I don't care if my mom was planning to give me up, all that matters is that she didn't, she cared for me even though she had nothing, she has always been there for me, everything she has ever done has been for me and I love her, you abandoned me before you even knew me, there is more to family than blood, family is about love"

She stared at him before she spoke with venom in her voice "I may be your daughter, but you will never be my father"

He stared at her as she stared at him suddenly proud and defiant, then his eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to the side, sniper training kicking in, he whirled round and headed towards the door "no" Livie cried and Kate launched herself at him knocking him to the floor "April" she screamed "Tali, RUN" both girls didn't hesitate, they bolted past the door. Adam let out an angry roar as he saw them scramble past and began to struggle up but Kate fought to keep him down hanging on for as long as she could before he grabbed her and threw her against the wall, her head smacked against the stone wall and she crumpled to the ground dazed, Livie was crouched next to her still screaming at April and Tali to run as Adam leapt out drawing a gun, he slammed the door behind him locking it before they heard him pounding up the stairs out of the basement, Livie hugged her mom tightly, then they heard sounds that made them both flinch and Livie let out a sob of terror. Loud cracks of a gun echoing through the silence.

X

Tali scrambled up the steps after April hurriedly, she heard more shouting and then Livie was screaming at them to run, they heard a bang and she glanced back to see him charging towards them, she cried out leaping up into the room and slamming the trapdoor shut sliding the bolt home, he slammed himself against it roaring angrily, April grabbed her "that isn't gonna hold him" she shouted and they both turned and ran out of the door, Tali turned shutting it before looking around, they found themselves standing outside a small cottage in the middle of a forest, there was a dark SUV parked outside "come on" April said "whoa wait" Tali said and she ran at the car staring at it "Z90 BGN" she said "Z90 BGN, we need to remember that" "yeah I think I can remember BGN" April said grabbing her hand as there was a crash from inside "Better Go Now" she dragged her off down the track.

"no" Tali shouted and shoved April off the track "we have to stay off the path" she shouted "we'll get lost" April said "lost is better than back in that basement" Tali said "follow me" they tore off through the woods rushing round trees and through bushes desperately trying to get away, suddenly there was a crack and out of the corner of her eye Tali saw a bullet bury itself into a tree, she whirled round to see him running after them holding a gun in front, pointing the gun at April "April move" Tali shouted as there was a crack, April moved sideways but she yelled as there was a second crack and she fell to the floor "April" Tali cried, she skidded to a stop and ran over to her, putting her arm over her shoulder and pulling her to her feet making her cry out "no go" April gasped but she dragged her forward as fast as she could, more gunshots echoed around and April staggered away "I can run" she shouted and stumbled forward clutching her side where a large red stain was forming rapidly getting bigger.

"copy me" Tali shouted and she dodged sideways, zigzagging from side to side, before lurching off in a completely different direction and then changing it again, confusing their trail, April stumbled along behind her gasping in pain, eventually Tali stopped, whirling round, she could still hear him coming so she looked around frantically, then back at April before she threw herself sideways at her, she slammed into her and knocked her sideways, April yelled in pain as she fell to the floor but Tali was already dragging her towards a bush "in" she hissed, April stared at her "go now" Tali shouted and gritting her teeth April hauled herself in struggling not to cry out in pain, she wriggled under and Tali followed her until they were deep in the bush and April slumped down gasping loudly "now what" she groaned but Tali put her hand over her mouth and held it there muffling her gasps, April nodded as she put a finger to her lips and crouched there unmoving as their captor stumbled into the clearing.

He looked mad, very mad, Tali kept her hand over April's mouth preventing her from moving; April stared at her as she very slowly glanced out, he was looking at the ground trying to trace their tracks, he was not just a killer, he was a hunter, stalking his prey before he took them out, tracking was second nature to him. Slowly Tali looked back at April and closed her eyes waiting for them to be discovered.

"I know you are here you little brats" he snarled "come out now and I will spare you, continue to run and your deaths shall be long and painful" Tali waited but the bush they were hiding under was thick in front of them, as long as he didn't move round and they didn't make a sound, they might just not be discovered.

"come out now" he snarled, Tali slowly opened her eyes, April was still staring at her eyes wide, either from fear or pain, they heard him growl then he was off crashing into the woods, Tali waited a few minutes before she lowered her hand away from April's mouth and allowed her to let out a gasp "good hiding place" she panted, Tali nodded "you ok" she asked "yep" April said putting on a brave face but Tali carefully lifted up the side of her shirt to reveal the wound and she winced "how bad" April groaned "um" Tali said eyeing it. The bullet had grazed her friend in the side, leaving a long deep furrow that was bleeding heavily "well it will need to be looked at" Tali said "the sooner the better and you will need stitches but it isn't that life threatening"

April nodded and Tali began to rip the bottom of her shirt "what are you doing" April mumbled "helping you bind it before you lose too much blood" Tali said and she carefully tied the strip of cloth over the wound nice and tight. "ok" she asked, April nodded "You and Livie are really bad when it comes to doing the right thing" Tali looked at her "seriously "next time I say run and leave me, run and leave me will you" Tali looked at her "we are all in this together" she said, April sighed.

Tali looked around thinking "do you think you can move" she asked "as in run" April looked around "yeah but where" she asked, Tali pointed "DC is that way" she said calmly, April frowned "how can you tell" she asked, Tali looked at her "the sun is rising" she said "always rises in the East over DC and there is the sun" she said pointing at it rising slowly into the sky "oh" April said "right" Tali smiled "I have seen a lot of sunrises when I get up at 0500" she said "Now let's go before he comes back".

Slowly and carefully they wriggled out and began to head off towards the sun, April didn't complain once, she just kept going breathing hard through gritted teeth, Tali slowed her pace as best she could, April followed her as she moved from side to side, back tracking, breaking branches and crossing streams "what are you doing" she asked eventually "covering our trail" Tali said, April looked at her, she seemed remarkably calm in this situation "were you trained for this" she asked.

Tali glanced at her "yes" she said quietly "my grandfather dumped me in the woods with 15 armed Mossad agents, told me to find my way out without getting caught, I had to fight, I got stabbed in the side and had to carry on, I was in the woods for a day and a half in the burning heat" April looked at her "sorry" she said "You went through so much", Tali looked at her "don't be sorry" she said "I have gotten over the pain and the struggles for control, I have accepted it, and besides" she gave her a small smile "if I didn't we would be pretty screwed" April smiled "you got that right" she said and they stumbled on towards the rising sun.

XOXO

Kate held Livie as she cried, she cried for her friends terrified for their safety, and she cried for her mom, how much danger she had risked to come protect her, Kate cried too, but silently, she cried for her daughter, how she wanted her to be safe, she cried for her friends and her family, working themselves no doubt to death to try and find them.

They heard banging and then the door burst open and Adam stormed back in, he threw Kate aside and grabbed Livie pinning her against the wall, "look what I found in the other room" he snarled and held a bent bobby pin millimetres from her face "looks like little super child picked the locks, with this" Livie didn't look at him she looked down her face scared but determined "didn't you have one like this in your hair when you arrived" he hissed "where is it sweetheart, hmm" Livie didn't respond, he snarled and threw her to the ground, she rolled over instantly and began to wriggle away as he came at her

"you little…" he was so mad he couldn't even finish that "why" he shouted, he dragged her back up throwing her against the wall, she glared at him "because they're my friends" she said defiantly "I wasn't going to let them suffer too" he snarled again and slapped her so hard her head snapped back and she slid down the wall dazed, he raised his hand to do it again but Kate grabbed him "no" she said angrily, he threw her away but turned on her to Kate's relief, "why did you help" he growled "you helped them get away" she glared at him defiantly "to protect them from you" she said angrily, he slapped her hard, slowly she turned her head back to face him, he looked so mad that she thought he was going to hit her again, she was braced and ready but then slowly he relaxed and looked back at Livie, a smug sly smile slipped onto his face "you were both trying to protect them hmm, well you both failed" they both stared at him, he smiled "I shot the little Booth girl, she will bleed out, and the other one, well she refused to leave her, she was carrying her away from me, she will die too, the woods is a dangerous place"

Livie let out a choking gasp "you shot April" she choked out, he nodded grinning "she will bleed out slowly and painfully sweetheart, you should have left her here" he bent close to her "at least then it would have been quick" Livie let out a howl like a wounded animal and turned away from him sobbing, Kate glared at him crouching next to her daughter, he grinned again delighted at their misery, then he tugged out Livie's phone again "so touching" he murmured holding it up, "cry for them my darling, I shall send your pain to their parents, then they will know that they died trying to escape, thanks to you"

Livie didn't seem to be able to stop crying, she clung to her mother tightly who had tears trickling down her cheeks as she hugged Livie tightly, trying to comfort her as best she could refusing to look at the camera until he crouched down right in front of them holding the phone right in their faces "say hi" he breathed, Kate swung her head up to look at him "go to hell" she snarled at him, he just grinned at her, she looked at the camera then, straight into it, knowing that Rick would see it "always" she whispered, then he lowered the phone "I shall go send it to them" he said smugly still grinning at Livie's pain, then he turned and walked out of the room, locking it behind him carefully.

Kate hugged Livie tightly until her crying subsided, then Kate sighed, Livie was exhausted, she was exhausted, slowly she guided them into a lying down position and hugged Livie close "try and get some sleep honey" she said softly "conserve your energy" Livie nodded not speaking and slowly closed her eyes, within a few minutes she had fallen asleep. Kate lay there tears trickling down her cheeks, then she too slowly closed her eyes after sending out a silent prayer for Tali and April, "please let them be ok" she prayed before closing her eyes and drifting off into a fitful sleep.

XOXOXO

Tali stumbled to a stop and looked behind her, April was leaning against a tree her eyes closed breathing heavily, she looked bad, and Tali knew that they had to get out of these woods soon, she looked around thinking, they had been going for a while now, and the sun was now above them beating down on them, she would estimate that they had been running for about 2 hours, April had refused to stop saying she was fine, she was strong, but now she was beginning to lag. She looked around "wait here" she said and before she could protest she disappeared into the foliage.

She forced her way through a thicket and then she stopped and sighed in relief, there was a small bubbling stream in front of her "April" she called "come on I found water" April came stumbling through and they both fell down drinking in relief, he had given them just enough to keep them alive, barely any food, they were hungry and thirsty.

As they drank and tried to clean themselves up a bit, Tali looked at her reflection, she looked bad again, ragged hair, dirty face, lean and hungry covered in blood, April's and her own, from the many cuts and scratches that lined her cheeks, arms and the rest of her body, she had a cut lip and a huge bruise on her forehead, she really did look like she had been through hell, she looked at April and saw she looked the same, blackened eye and cuts all from their runs through the forest and their beatings plus her side was covered in blood, slowly she undressed the wound, unwrapping her make shift bandage, Tali took it and washed it out carefully "wash the wound" she said gently "the water is running, so less chance of bacteria, it is clean, you need to wash it to get rid of any infections"

April nodded and dipped her sleeve into the water and carefully pressed it against the still open wound, she flung her head back and let out a howl of pain, Tali moved over and carefully helped her wash it before redressing it again, the bandage wouldn't last long she knew, it was already soaked with blood. "you know" April said weakly her face white with pain "I am really glad it is you I am lost in the woods with" Tali smiled "same" she said, April looked at her "I am slowing you down" she said softly "no" Tali said "you are helping me to remain strong, I know that you are there right behind me, and that is what helps me keep going" April grinned and held up her fist "in this together" she asked, Tali bumped her own fist against hers "together" she said and they grinned at each other.

"Come on" Tali said "let's get moving" she helped April to her feet and they set off again back into the woods. It was almost an hour later when Tali stopped again, "what" April asked, Tali held up her hand and she fell quiet, they listened and they heard a rushing sound, "is that…" April trailed off "a road" Tali finished and they both tumbled towards it stopping at the edge of the trees.

A handful of cars were driving past unaware of their presence in the woods , "we made it" April breathed in relief, Tali nodded "what now" she asked, April thought "we could ask for a lift" she said uncertainly, Tali looked at her "who is going to pick two ragamuffin girls up who just ran out of the woods, covered in blood" she asked, April sighed and shook her head, then she frowned "wait a sec" she gasped, Tali followed her gaze, she was staring at a pickup truck that was driving down the road "I know that car" she squealed and before Tali could stop her she had leapt out of the trees onto the road standing waving her arms frantically.

The little blue pickup braked sharply to avoid hitting her, then pulled over, a boy with sandy hair and bright hazel eyes poked his head out "April" he said incredulously, then he was scrambling out as April staggered towards him "Seth" she cried and flung her arms around him, he held her tightly in confusion before pulling away to look at her "April what the hell happened to you" he asked, then he saw her side and swore "…April you're bleeding" "thanks genius I hadn't noticed" April said "listen I am so glad you are here, you have to help us" "us" he asked.

April whirled round "Tali come out" she called "it's ok, this is Seth remember I told you about him" cautiously Tali slipped out of the forest and headed towards them, eyeing Seth uncertainly "Seth this is Tali, my friend, now please you have to help us", he looked at her "yeah of course chick" he said "what happened" "no time" she said grabbing Tali's hand and pushing her into the pickup "we need to get to the Jeffersonion", Seth scrambled back into the driver's seat "bet you are glad I passed my test now hey" he said "though this wasn't what I imagined our first drive would be like"

April rolled her eyes "have you got your phone" she asked, he nodded "great I need to borrow it" she said and he pulled it out handing it to her "where's yours" he asked "um I would guess in a ditch somewhere" she said "seriously" Seth said as he began to drive "what happened "I did what I do best" April said as she dialled a number and held the phone to her ear "you were kidnapped again" Seth yelped, she rolled her eyes at him before turning as a familiar voice answered the phone.

"Booth"

XOXOXO

Rick had frozen after seeing the picture, he had stared at his wife and her little girl until gently Gibbs had turned the screen off, then he had just stared at the blank screen before falling to the sofa and placing his head in his hands, McGee had tried to triangulate an area where the signal from Livie's phone was coming from but the GPS was off, they had nothing, they were all on edge, really on edge, their children were missing, but Rick, well he was missing two people that he loved, and he was struggling to cope.

Booth looked at Alexis as she looked up at him from where she sat next across from her dad, she looked the same, her face streaked with tears, and Beckett's team looked angry too, especially Esposito, her best friend Lanie, was sat next to Alexis trying to comfort her.

Booth looked at Alexis and tried to give her a comforting smile, but it wasn't very sure, and he lost all optimism that he had when Angela let out a cry and leapt away from her computer as the screens flickered and then a video appeared, before they could do anything it started playing.

Everyone ran in when they heard Angela's cry and they stared at the picture on the screen of Livie crying her eyes out, unable to stop, Kate was clutching her refusing to look into the camera, there were tears trickling down her cheeks too, the camera moved and lowered until it was crouched in front of them, Kate kept her eyes down looking mad.

"say hi" a voice whispered and her head snapped up, her eyes burning with anger "go to hell" she snarled at him angrily clutching Livie tighter, then she looked straight into the camera and Rick let out a choking breath as she locked him with her powerful gaze, he stared into her eyes unable to move, they saddened and then she whispered "always", the camera lowered to show Livie looking at it her eyes red and miserable then it stopped.

Rick moaned and pulled Alexis into his arms hugging her tightly, everyone else stared at the screen in shock, staring at the new frozen image of Kate and Livie in pain, Booth sent out a silent promise that this guy was going to pay for everything he had done. "um" said Sweets, they all looked up having not heard him enter "can I say something" they all looked at him before nodding "Kate is his target" he said "he sent you a picture and a video of her and Livie, the video focused mostly on her, like he is focusing on her, he likes her pain, Livie in pain is her in pain, I don't think he wants to kill her" everyone stared at him "psychology really confuses me" Tony muttered and everyone nodded agreeing, Sweets looked at them "if he wanted her dead, she would be dead" he said, "he has killed many times, he shows no mercy, he doesn't play with his food, he just kills, there is another reason he took her, another reason he is holding her"

Booth groaned and rubbed his eyes, then sighed as his phone rang with an unknown number; he barely glanced at it before answering tiredly "Booth"

"Dad" he froze then leapt up "oh my god" he choked out and everyone looked at him in surprise

"April" he cried


	14. Chapter 13

**Hi – thanks for the reviews, would love some more, hope you like this one...**

Chapter 13

Everyone stared at Booth as he stood there eyes wide "April" he said again "yeah dad it's me", hurriedly he put her on speaker in time to hear her say "listen Tali and I, we escaped" he frowned "how" he asked "Tali picked the locks with a bobby pin Livie managed to give to her", Tony and Ziva both sighed in relief "are you both ok" Booth asked feeling the same relief rush through him and saw it in Brennan's eyes "yeah we are fine" there was a rustle and then Tali said "I am fine, April has been shot" "WHAT" everyone shouted.

"thanks Tali" April said and they heard her take the phone back "you've been shot" Booth said anxiously "no, well yes, I have but it just grazed me, it's not too bad" a male voice said "you sure it looks pretty bad" Booth frowned again "is that Seth" he asked in confusion "yeah" April said "he was driving back from Baltimore visiting his family and we ran out onto the road and persuaded him to give us a lift, we are heading back the Jeffersonion ok" "April go to the hospital" Booth said "dad we don't have much time we need to get to Kate and Livie" "are they ok" Rick asked anxiously.

There was silence on the other end before April said "they risked everything to help us escape, Livie gave us a hair pin and Kate managed to hold him down long enough for us to get out, he was pretty mad but he won't kill them" "why not" Rick asked "um I really don't think that I should tell you over the phone Rick, it's pretty shocking" "who is he" Gibbs asked.

Tali caught hold of the phone "his name is Adam, I didn't get a second name, he's about 32, drives a black SUV licence plate Z90.." she paused "um oh yeah BGN, Z90 BGN" McGee was hurriedly typing that information into the computer and he began a search "good job shortcake" Gibbs said to Tali "you ok honey" "yeah" she said "I'm good" "listen" April called "we are about 10 minutes out ok so we will tell you everything when we get there" "ok" Booth said "see you in a minute bud"

The call ended and they all looked at each other "they are ok" Gibbs said "they are on their way here and they can tell us everything, and then we can go back and get Kate and Livie out of there ok" he looked at Rick who nodded quietly "hey" Gibbs said to him, Rick looked up "your girls are strong" he said "they will get through this together ok" Rick nodded "I know" he said softly and hugged Alexis as she came to him "I know my girls are strong" Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder and then they all headed towards the doors and out to the gates.

XO

Exactly 7 minutes later a small blue pickup pulled in, and Tali scrambled out followed by April much more slowly clutching her side, Tali assisted her out before they both turned and ran at their parents, April launched herself at her mother who had tears of relief trickling down her cheeks before opening one arm to catch hold of her dad as he caught them both up into his arms, Tali collided with Ziva who began to murmur to her in relief in Hebrew before releasing her to Tony who picked her up hugging her tightly "hey ninja" he managed to choke out clutching her tightly "hey daddy" she mumbled clinging to him.

Once they had released their children Booth hurried them inside after thanking Seth who had to head home but promised to visit April soon, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before clambering back into his truck and they all headed back into Angela's office where everyone began to fuss over April who continually protested that she was fine before saying "can we tell you what we know", everyone paused and then nodded, and slowly they all sat down, April looked at Tali who nodded and April began to tell their adventures.

"ok so you called us and we tried to get away but there were like 10 of them" "12" Tali piped up "yeah well you would know, she knocked them all out" April said grinning at her friend before carrying on "they came after us again but we ran into the woods, we got separated though, I found Livie and then we saw Tali get caught, we had to run but they caught up to us, Livie didn't run" she said "she could have escaped but no, she stayed with me and got caught" she paused and sighed "when we woke up we were in a stone room, a basement and we didn't know where we were, we had chains round our ankles and we couldn't escape, but we were ok, hurting a bit from our falls and me and Tali had needle marks on our us from where we had been drugged, but we weren't hurt"

She paused "then he came in" Booth looked at her "could you describe him" he asked gently, she nodded, before looking at Tali "you're better at this thing than me" Tali nodded and looked at Angela who had her sketch pad out, they moved over to the desk and Tali began to describe him whilst April carried on describing their horrors, "he was kind to us in a way, very sweet, told us that he only wanted one of us, the other two were there to keep you guys at bay because no one has ever gotten that close before, he talked to each of us then he looked at Livie, she was refusing to talk, he laughed at her and said he understood why she didn't talk, she said because he had tried to kill her mom, he just laughed and said he had been asked to kill her but he didn't want too, that was why she survived, he purposefully aimed to the side, to give her a chance to survive, Livie said he was lying and he just laughed"

She looked at them "he then told her that she was very brave and that he had killed the man who had tortured her" everyone frowned "why did he do that" Rick asked confused "I'm getting to that" April said gently "Livie asked him who he wanted out of the three of us, and he said her" everyone chewed their lips "she asked why and he said she looked a lot like her mom, he said she looked a lot like her when they first met when they were both 18"

April paused and looked at everyone listening "he called her darling and his, she told him she wasn't his" April closed her eyes "he told her to do the math" she whispered "he said he met Kate not long after her 18th birthday and Livie was born not long before her 19th" everyone froze and then gasped as the realisation hit them "No" Rick whispered, April nodded "he said he was her father"

Everyone was silent as they digested that "well he has to be lying" Tony said "he must have just said that to scare her" April lowered her head "that is what we thought" she mumbled "then Kate arrived" Rick looked at her and she looked at him, "he took her to Livie and then she obviously recognised him because she started screaming at him and he shouted at her, then we knew it was true, he was Livie's father"

Everyone went silent again and April continued to fill them in on other details that they knew "so" Tony said "Kate's ex decided to kidnap his own daughter and then her after kidnapping two other girls and trying to shoot her and successfully shooting 8 others" he looked around "um what now" "we go get them" Tali said coming over as Angela slid her drawing into the scanner and sent it up onto the screen, everyone looked at him and McGee ran it through facial recognition "Adam Wesley 32, was a sharp shooter for the army" he said "dishonourably discharged after he killed 3 people to get to one person, has a very high body count", Gibbs, Booth and Esposito who had all been snipers studied him carefully "so how do we find him" Esposito asked.

Tali moved over to the computer and pulled up a map slowly scrolling away from the Jeffersonion "Seth picked us up here didn't he" she said to April who nodded, slowly Tali began to move the map counting the kilometres "don't tell me you managed to keep track of how far we ran" April said incredulously, Tali shushed her as she carefully orientated herself on the map "somewhere around here" she said "there is a little cottage hidden from view, that is where he is hiding"

Gibbs kissed her gently on the forehead "let's plan" he said "we can't role without planning, it is too dangerous, and if he hears us coming he could get spooked and kill them", everyone nodded "I want to come" Tali said, "me too" April added, "no" everyone responded at the same time, they both gave symmetrical scowls "come on, Livie is our friend we have to help her" April protested "you have already helped her by telling us all this information April, the only place you are going is the hospital" Booth said "you have lost loads of blood, we should really get you there now" she scowled "your dad is right April" Tali said "hey" April said "all in this together remember", Tali looked at her before turning to her parents "I want to come" she said defiantly, everyone looked at her "Tali" Ziva began but Tali looked at her pleadingly "please ima" she said "I can help, you know I can look after myself, I can help you find that place, it is really well hidden, you will never find it without me, please, I want to help"

Ziva looked at her daughter big green eyes wide and pleading, then she looked at Tony who looked how she felt, they both knew Tali could hold her own, but they didn't want her near the danger, but this place might be hard to find. They both looked at Gibbs who sighed and bent to Tali's level, she looked him straight in the eye, something only she could do "when we get there" he said quietly "you stay out of sight yes, you stay in the car and if we tell you to do something you do it deal" she nodded and took his proffered hand "deal" she said, he smiled at her before turning to April, she sighed "I know I can't go" she grumbled "don't worry, I will tell you what happens" Tali promised, April nodded and shifted on the sofa before wincing

"Bones" Booth said looking at Brennan, she looked up at him her eyes still full of relief "why don't you get Aps to the hospital" she nodded "I'll go too" Lanie volunteered "I guess you guys aren't going to let me come are you" they all shook their heads and she sighed before moving over to Esposito "bring them back" she commanded "both of them, alive" he nodded "of course I will" he promised, he hugged her tightly whilst Booth ignoring April's protests lifted her up and carried her to the car.

When he got back everyone was waiting for him "let's plan" he said and they all nodded.

XOXOXO

Kate woke up slowly and frowned confused, everything felt sluggish, she slowly opened her eyes, everything was still dark, the only source of light a flickering bulb, she sighed, wishing that yesterday had only been a really bad dream, but no, it was real, she and Livie were still stuck in this little hell, she looked down at her daughter still lying there with her eyes closed, her breathing slow.

"Livie" Kate murmured touching her daughters cheek before she felt a chill of fear rush through her, Livie was deathly cold, skin pale and icy, slowly Kate sat up, pulling her daughter over "Livie" she said again, Livie didn't respond "Livie" she cried again more urgently cupping her daughters cheeks in her hands rubbing them desperately "come on" she begged "open your eyes", to her relief very slowly Livie's eyes fluttered open "mom" she mumbled "thank god" Kate whispered and she pulled Livie into her arms wrapping them tightly around her "it's cold" Livie whispered "shh, I know" Kate whispered back hugging her as Livie began to shiver "I'm tired" she whispered her eyelids drooping "no" Kate whispered turning Livie's head to face her "no Livie, honey open your eyes, look at me"

Slowly, almost grudgingly, Livie did as she was asked and looked at her, she looked dazed and confused "what's wrong" she asked "you just need to stay awake" Kate whispered, slowly dreading what she would find she reached out and took Livie's hand, it was white and cold "can you squeeze my hand" she asked quietly, Livie's hand tightened slightly before she sighed "to tired" she whispered, then she frowned "what's going on" she asked.

Kate blinked back tears, shivering, white hands, tiredness, confusion, all symptoms of hypothermia "nothing's wrong" she whispered "just try to stay awake ok" Livie nodded sluggishly and leaned against her still shivering Kate shrugged out of her coat again to wrap it around her, Livie had pushed it back towards her before April and Tali had escaped, refusing to wear it, saying that she needed it, but now she was the one who needed it, she carefully pulled it around her daughter's shaking body, Livie was so tired and confused she didn't even realise what her mother was doing, Kate ignored the cold bite of the air and hugged Livie rubbing her arms, desperately trying to warm her daughter up, for now her heart rate was slow, but she knew that unless they got out of here soon, Livie would get worse, she pressed her lips to the top of her daughters head and prayed for a miracle.

XOXOXO

It was an hour later when the door opened, Kate was still leaning against the wall, Livie's breathing was fast now and she was shaking hard, Kate continued to cling to her, trying to keep her warm. She looked up and saw Adam standing over them eyebrows raised "what's wrong with her" he asked shortly, Kate stared at him "she has hypothermia" she said "please Adam you have to help her please" he frowned at her "I know nothing about treating hypothermia Katie Kat" he said "help me warm her up" Kate begged "bring me some blankets, anything please" "what do I get out of it" he asked.

Kate stared at him "she is your daughter Adam" she said "you are the reason she has hypothermia, please help me save her" "is that you acknowledging that she is mine" he asked, Kate stared at him "I never denied that she was yours" she whispered, he bent to look at them, Livie was shifting uncomfortably, eyes closed, he reached out to touch her cheek and Kate had to resist the urge to pull Livie away, he stroked her cheek before looking at Kate "well then why didn't you ever tell her who her father was" Kate looked at him "because you left her before she was even born" she said "you made it perfectly clear that you didn't want her, hell you wanted me to kill her, when Livie asked I told her that you had left us, simple as that, she never asked your name or why you had left us" he gazed at her "would you have told her" he asked.

Kate stared at him, when Livie had gotten to that age where she had started to ask questions about why she didn't have a daddy she had wondered what to do if Livie ever asked who her daddy was, but once she had explained that her daddy wasn't with them she had dropped the subject much to her relief, then she had asked again at around 9 years old but once again she had sensed that her mommy hadn't wanted to talk about it and refrained again from asking, odd times in between she had mentioned not having a daddy but she had always told Kate that she liked it just the two of them, Kate had wondered if she should tell her about her father but there had never been any need to. She looked at Adam "I don't know" she said softly, he gazed at her "she says I am not her father" he said "meaning that I don't need to do anything for her"

Kate stared "she said that you weren't her father but she was still your daughter" she said "please Adam" she felt a few tears trickle down her cheeks, he stared at her before grabbing her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes "maybe" he breathed "if you hadn't helped those other brats escape, I would have helped her, but no, you defied me, this will be your punishment" he turned and walked back towards the door, Kate lowered Livie to the floor and scrambled after him "Adam" she begged "please don't punish Livie for my actions, please she could die" he looked at her "she is already 14 years late at dying Kate" he said "please" Kate screamed "I will do anything"

He paused and turned to look round at her as she stood there, fists clenched and trembling, a small smile slid across his face "anything" he asked, "anything" Kate whispered lowering her head, "what do you propose" he asked leaning against the wall, Kate looked at Livie shaking on the ground, then she turned back to him "let me call a member of the team" she begged "or Lanie my best friend, let me get them to pick her up, we take her to them and you let them take her, to a hospital where she can be saved" he narrowed his eyes "and once she is safe" he asked, Kate lowered her gaze "I will go with you" she said "I will stay with you and follow you for as long as you want, I will do anything you want, as long as Livie is safe"

There was a choking gasping sound from behind "mom no" Livie managed to stammer from behind "No mom don't please don't" "shh Livie" Kate said eyes still on Adam who stood there smiling at her "aw Katie look at you, giving your life for your little girl, how sweet" he grinned "I will consider it" he said, but Kate knew his mind was already made up "please Adam" she begged, he just laughed, "later my darlings" he said and closed the door.

Kate threw herself against it crying hard, then when she realised that it was pointless she moved back over to Livie and leaned against the wall, pulling Livie into her arms, through chattering teeth Livie whispered "I guess… everything is not ok… if I have… hypothermia" "everything will be fine" Kate promised "you… shouldn't have… done that mom" Livie whispered "you c… can't go with him" Kate stroked her hair "shh" she whispered "conserve your energy honey" "you can't…go" Livie gasped "don't …go please" "shh I am not going anywhere now" Kate whispered, Livie slowly turned and rested her head against her chest "don't leave me mommy" she managed, Kate rested her head on the top of her daughters "never" she whispered.

XOXOXO

Tali leaned against the table listening to them plan, April had disappeared to hospital though someone had given her her phone because she was texting Tali on her repossessed phone asking what was happening, Tali sighed and sent a message saying **'nothing yet will tell u when something does ok" **she groaned as her phone rang and expecting it to be April she answered "_nothing has happened ok_" a male voice answered **"Tali where the hell have you been kita" **_"Amir" _she said in surprise and walked away from the table, Booth looked at Tony "who's Amir" he asked "it's complicated" Tony said "ah" Booth said, "I know what you mean", Tony rolled his eyes.

Tali moved out of the office and sat on the steps to the platform as Amir responded **"yeah of course it's me kita where have you been, you never showed up for our run, I have been worried out of my dam mind" **Tali sighed _"Amir I am sorry, I was otherwise engaged" _he must have picked up on the tone of her voice **"what happened Tali" **he asked gently, she sighed _"long story Amir, short version is I got kidnapped again by a psychopathic serial sniper with April and Livie" _there was silence on the other end before he responded **"I am sorry **_**what!**_**"** she smiled "_I told you long story, but me and April escaped and now we need to save Livie and her mom" _**"oh**" he said **"are you ok kita, he didn't hurt you did he" **she laughed gently _"nothing I couldn't handle Amir I swear I am fine, listen I am sorry I haven't been in contact with you, but I really have to go, I am helping with the rescue mission" _**"Tali" **he warned **"don't you dare do anything stupid kita"** Tali sighed "_I promise ok, I will see you soon yes" _**"you'd better kita, now go save the world little ninja" **she giggled _"will do, you know me, I will contact you when it is over ok, bye" _**"bye kita take care" **he said softly before hanging up.

Tali smiled as she closed her phone, then she rolled her eyes and headed back into the office "how's Amir" her dad asked innocently, she narrowed her eyes at him seeing the teasing in his eyes, she grinned at him "better now he knows why I haven't been answering any of his calls, he nearly blew a fuse when I answered" Tony grinned "sounds like Amir" he said and Ziva elbowed him "focus please" she said and he nodded at her and they all turned back to their plans.

"right" Gibbs said "so Tali, you say that they are in the basement under the house" she nodded and reached for a pen and a piece of paper, she drew a quick sketch of the house, "ok so you come in here" she said putting her pen over where the door was "I didn't see how many other rooms there were because we were too busy trying to escape, but there is a trapdoor here" she said drawing a square with an x on it, "it did have a bolt but I think he broke it, anyway" she drew another sketch "you go down the stairs and there are rooms on one side, four doors" she added them "we were kept in the one at the end of the corridor, Kate and Livie were kept in this one" she looked up at them "it is really dark down there, lots of shadows, and lots of places he could hide, you all need to be careful" Gibbs nodded at her "or we just shed some light on it" he said, he turned to Hodgins "head torches" he asked, the scientist nodded eagerly and hurried off to fetch them.

Gibbs looked at everyone "I take it we are all coming" they all nodded and he looked at them all standing there, Booth, Rick, Esposito, Ryan, Tony, Ziva, McGee and Tali, all standing there read "gear up" he said "everyone get bullet proof vests ok" they all nodded and then headed out to their cars, piling into three: Gibbs, Tali and McGee in the front one so Tali could direct, Rick, Ryan and Esposito in the next and Tony, Ziva and Booth in the last one.

Gibbs looked at Tali as she sat in the passenger seat looking determined, "You ok" he asked, and she nodded "I just want to stop him, before he hurts them anymore", "we'll get him shortcake I promise" she nodded "I know" she said softly "I just hope we are not too late" he looked at her "what do you mean" he asked, she looked at him "we didn't want to say before in front of Rick, but Livie looked bad, she didn't have a coat and she was cold, she is in so much pain mentally, and physically I don't know how much more she could take" Gibbs released the steering wheel with one hand to take hers "we'll get them kiddo" he said "and they _will_ be fine ok" she smiled at him and nodded "I believe you" she said before pointing "there is a track just there" he quickly turned the car down the track "you think this is it" he asked, she shrugged "only track I have seen this entire time" she said "we didn't stay on the track in case he drove his car down looking for us" "good idea shortcake" he said with a smile, they drove slowly up the track "look" Tali said then and through the trees they saw a small cottage with a black SUV parked outside "that's it" Tali breathed.

Gibbs made to continue driving but Tali cried out "wait stop" he looked at her "what if he hears us coming" she said, he nodded slowly and then climbed out, slowly everyone in the other cars did the same, and they moved round to gear up,

Tony was just strapping on his vest when he looked round and frowned "hang on what if he makes a break for it" everyone looked up "we need to make sure that he doesn't escape" he persisted "on it" Tali chimed

They all whirled round looking around in time to see her disappearing up the track, Ziva instantly leapt after her and cursing the others followed carefully keeping their distance, Tali was creeping towards the house low to the ground to avoid being seen, then she dashed at the car, pressing herself against it and pulling a knife out of her boot "where did she get that" Tony murmured to Ziva who shrugged.

They watched as Tali carefully reached down and drew the knife across the tyre allowing the air to escape with a gently hissing, then she shifted along and did the same to the other tyre, then she looked up and saw them all out of sight of the windows but peering out at her, they all glowered at her, she gave an innocent smile before she slowly crept back towards them "what the hell were you thinking" Booth hissed at her, she frowned "I slit his tyres, weren't you going to do that anyway" "yes but you were told to stay out the way" she looked at him "I was less likely to be seen" she said, "now we know he isn't going to drive off with them" Booth rolled his eyes at her then noticed she was wearing a bullet proof vest "why are you wearing that" he asked "protection" she said innocently "you don't need any" Gibbs said taking her shoulder "back to the car please shortcake" she looked at him "but I don't know what's happening" she said "you promised Tali" Tony said sternly.

Tali opened her mouth to respond when three sounds echoed around the silent woods, three sounds that made them freeze and stare at each other in horror.

A terrified scream, a single gunshot, a howl of pain.

**Duh duh duh :P Cliffhanger :D**

**Hope you liked it **

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**Thanks Mysticgirl**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hi, thanks for the reviews, hope you like this chapter – 9 pages so really hope you do. Enjoy xx**

Chapter 14

Kate was hugging Livie tightly, her shudders were violent now, her skin icy and her heart rate and breathing was fast, "mom" she managed through clenched teeth "mm" Kate whispered rubbing her arms, she was shivering now too, "don't go…with him" Livie said "you have … to run… the next… chance you get" "no" Kate whispered "I am not leaving you" weakly Livie rolled over and looked at her "please mommy" she whispered "if I don't make it… run" Kate stared at her "don't think like that Livie" she whispered "you are going to be fine, I promise, we are going to get through this, together, as we always have done, always and forever" Livie didn't respond, her eyes were closing "Livie" Kate whispered "stay with me please stay awake" Livie sighed "come on Livie, think happy things" Kate whispered "all those nights we used to fall asleep after watching movies on the sofa, and wake up the next morning all stiff and unable to move" she looked at Livie who was frowning "how you were the one who persuaded me to listen to my heart and that it was ok to feel, how you helped me see how in love I was with Rick, remember"

Livie looked up at her listening "and Skye" Kate encouraged "think about Skye Livie, how she helped you remember, she brought back your memories, remember riding her, you and me, you riding bareback and racing through the woods, teaching Alexis to ride, all that time the two of you spent with that horse, making her look beautiful" Livie looked at her through half closed eyes "Skye" she murmured, then she looked up, opening her eyes fully "what" she mumbled her face full of confusion.

Kate choked back a sob, "please baby girl" she whispered "come on you can do this" Livie shuddered and weakly cuddled closer to her "stay with me" Kate whispered "come on please" Livie sighed miserably "so tired" she whispered "I know but please don't close your eyes" Kate begged rubbing her frozen cheeks.

She heard footsteps and then there was a bang as the door burst open, Adam stormed in and slammed the door behind him, Kate felt Livie shift uneasily and her eyes fluttered open to look at him, Adam glared at them both "you know" he said "I am not as stupid as you all appear to think" Kate stared at him confused "I have cameras all over this place, constantly monitoring and motion sensors surrounding the area, your team seems to think they are very well hidden, but little do they know that they couldn't be more wrong" Kate stared "what" she said, he slapped her, she bit back any sound of pain and slowly turned back to face him again, he was glaring at her, his eyes mad.

"Your dearly beloved and the rest of your so called team are outside, preparing themselves to strike, and guess who is with them sweetheart" he looked at Livie breathing hard, "the little kick ass brat friend of yours is with them" he said "no sign of the other one though" he added a sly smile sliding onto his face.

Livie let out a gasp, slowly turning her head away, "don't believe me" he asked "well look here" he produced a small laptop and opened it showing a security feed, where they could see the team gearing up by their cars, Kate stared at them in shock, they had found them, but were they too late. She looked at Adam who was looking at Livie "oh sweetheart, you don't look good" he said "you a little cold" Livie looked at him shivering.

He studied them for a minute obviously deciding what to do, then he suddenly grabbed Livie by the throat and pulled her away, he pressed her to the ground as Kate cried out but he threw her away as she lunged for him, then he produced some keys and unlocked Livie's cuff, before he leapt away from her towards her mother, Livie managed to roll over in time to see him yank her mother up and pin her to the wall by her throat, as she caught hold of his wrist to try and free herself, he produced a large gun and held it to her forehead.

"Mom" Livie cried out, but Kate didn't move, she stood there breathing hard feeling the cold barrel of the gun being pressed against her forehead, she stared at him as he smiled "I accept your offer Katie Kat" he said grinning happily, "you" he then snapped to Livie, his face turning serious "go" Livie stared at him, he glanced at her, gun still aimed at Kate's head "go on" he said "get out, go to your team, get them to take you out of here, tell them that I give you to them as an act of kindness, tell them I have a gun to your mother's head and tell them that if they haven't left in 10 minutes I am going to pull the trigger and she will be dead"

Livie stared at him from where she half lay half sat on the floor she was breathing very hard still and tears were sliding down her cheeks "go on" Adam snarled "no" she managed to sob "mom" "Livie" Kate said still staring at Adam "go" "no" she sobbed "no I want to stay with you "Livie please go" Kate begged glancing at her daughter "please I love you, go" "no" she said "please, don't do this" she begged Adam who was listening to them confer with a sly smile on his face "eight minutes" he said "Livie" Kate said harshly "go _now_, for me" Livie stared at her, then she tried to haul herself up but her legs gave out and she fell back down crying "aw what's wrong sweetheart" Adam asked, his eyes flicking to Livie "she can't walk" Kate said "she can't get to them"

"well unless she wants to see your blood spray across the walls and to see you lying on the floor with a _hole_ in your scull, she is going to have to" he roared and jammed the gun against Kate's forehead tighter making her involuntarily gasp, Livie let out a sob "please" she sobbed "don't hurt her, I can't" "yes you can Livie" Kate said looking at her daughter "come on you can do this, you are strong enough, please Livie I know you can do it" Livie stared at her "I won't leave you" she whispered, still shivering. Adam's head snapped round to face her "get out now" he shouted.

Instantly Kate reacted, releasing her hold on his wrist and grabbing the gun forcing it up and away from her, he instantly turned back to her with a snarl and pulled the gun back down but Kate fought to keep it away from herself, he threw her backwards and she fell to the floor, instantly he brought the gun down to face her, but Kate swung her leg up to strike his hand and the gun went flying, he let out a snarl and fell towards her pinning her down, his hands descending on her throat.

Kate gasped as his hands tightened around her throat choking her, she kicked desperately but he was too strong, she heard Livie crying out to her and out of the corner of her eye she saw Livie hauling herself desperately along the floor, she struggled desperately looking at him kneeling over her, his hands squeezing the life out of her, she saw more movement to the side and saw Livie reaching out and picking something up, she was trembling as she - unable to lift herself up – rolled onto her side pointing the object at Adam crying out to him to let her mom go, Adam turned his head and his eyes widened slightly when he saw what she was holding, then he shook his head with a small smile on his face and turned back to Kate his grip tightening again.

Kate saw Livie's eyes widen then a look of determination crossed over her face and she aimed the object, Kate drew in as much of a breath as she could and screamed "Livie NO" thrashing frantically desperate to free herself, her vision was going blurry, but Adam wasn't letting her go anywhere and Livie wasn't going to let him hurt her.

Livie squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed around the small room and Adam let out a gasp as the bullet struck him across the throat, Kate felt hot blood spray across her face and she felt his grip around her throat loosen, he stared at her choking before falling forward, gasping Kate caught him, she stared into his eyes as he choked feeling more hot blood splatter onto her before she managed to push him off her, he slumped to the floor unmoving and she lay there gasping for breath. She heard Livie howl in pain when she realised what she had done, she had killed a man; she had killed her own biological father. Kate tried to haul herself up, to comfort her daughter, but she couldn't find the energy, the whole world swam, then she blacked out.

XOXOXO

Rick's head snapped up at the scream and the gunshot, then his eyes widened at the howl "Livie" he murmured and then he bolted forward "Tali, McGee, Ryan stay here" Gibbs shouted before he leapt after him shouting at Rick to stop, he saw Tali and McGee instantly ready themselves pressed against the trees, ready should he come running out, Ryan followed them but positioned himself outside.

The rest of them all crashed into the building shouting, searching for anyone, but it was empty, Rick had yanked the trap door in the corner of the room open and was half falling, half climbing down it, the gun they had grudgingly given him clutched in his hand, lighting the head torches they followed, guns raised "that one" Tony shouted gesturing to the door, Tali had told them that Kate and Livie were in, Rick threw himself against it and it burst open.

Rick rushed in shouting "Kate, Livie" then he stopped and stared at the sight before him, a sight that shocked him to his very core, a sight he knew would haunt his dreams and he would never forget.

Kate was lying unconscious on the floor, curled on her side one hand extended away from her, her face was covered in cast off blood and her skin was pale, there were dark bruises forming around her throat, from where the life had been choked out of her and they were contrasted against her pale skin.

Lying next to her was the serial killer, their abductor, Adam Wesley, his shirt was covered in blood leaking from a bullet wound on his throat which was stained with blood, and his eyes stared unseeingly at them.

Then lying a few feet away shivering was Livie, she was also lying on her side, her whole body wracked with shudders, she looked extremely bad, if they had thought Kate's skin was bad, it was nothing compared to Livie, her skin was white, deathly white, her breathing fast, she was staring at her mom mumbling incoherently to her, she had her hand outstretched towards her mother's extended hand reaching desperately for her, and in her other hand was a gun and her finger was still on the trigger.

Rick stared at the two of them in shock, then he moved into the room, instantly Livie's eyes snapped up to face him and they were wide and full of terror, he and everyone else froze as she summoned up what little strength she had to raise the gun and point it at them "no" she cried "stay away, leave us alone", she was so blinded by terror and fear she didn't even recognise them, protecting her unconscious mother, "Livie" he murmured "it's ok you're safe now honey", the gun jerked wildly in her hand as she gasped in fright and pushed herself weakly away from them trying to get to her mom "stay away" she sobbed.

Then Esposito was moving past him towards Livie, instantly she let out a cry and her finger tightened on the trigger, "easy" Esposito soothed and she jumped as he spoke to her, her finger tightened again and there was a crack and she fired the gun gasping in terror, "whoa Livs easy honey put the gun down yeah" Esposito said, Rick glanced at the others who didn't know what to do, every fibre of their being told them to deal with the threat, but what happened when the threat was a traumatised teenage girl that they knew who was so out of it, so terrified that she couldn't release the gun, so worked up she was firing at them.

They all looked uncertain, instincts telling them to draw their guns at the sound of gunfire, but none of them did so, instead they crouched to the floor waiting for Livie to calm down. Rick glanced at Kate still lying on her side unconscious, crumpled on the ground, he shifted wanting to go to her but froze as Livie let out a sob "stay away" she cried "please don't hurt us"

Esposito looked at her with his eyes full of pain before he slowly knelt beside her and reached out to touch her, she shied away tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as she jerked the gun up, but Esposito caught hold of it pushing away from everyone "Livie" Esposito murmured "hey kiddo, it's me honey, Javi , and Rick is here too" trembling Livie looked up at him "Javi" she whispered "yeah kiddo why don't you lower that gun little one yeah" he said, she let out a small sob and relaxed slightly, the gun dropped to the floor but she kept hold of it with her finger still on the trigger ready, still uncertain, she eyed him uncertainly, before looking over his shoulder and spotting Rick, she stared at him before whispering "Rick", he nodded slowly, and she gave another sob, Esposito looked over his shoulder at him and jerked his head towards Kate.

Rick moved towards Kate falling down beside her "come on Kate" he whispered stroking her cheek "come on open your eyes", a few seconds past, then slowly her eyelids fluttered open and she stirred weakly, she stared at him confused "Rick" she whispered "oh thank god" he whispered, bending to kiss her forehead, slowly she turned her head and saw Adam with Booth crouched next to him checking for a pulse, her eyes widened slightly and she looked back up at him "Livie" she croaked hoarsely, her breathing speed up "Livie" she gasped again "shh, she's ok" Rick soothed but she continued to stare at him pleadingly, wide eyed with worry.

"hang on" he said and got up from beside her and moved towards Livie who was still crying with Esposito crouched next to her speaking softly, slowly he crouched next to her "Livie" he said softly "shh it's ok you're safe now honey, relax" Livie didn't look at him, then very slowly her eyes moved up to him and she stared up at him "Rick" she mumbled, her eyes moved to Esposito "Javi" she managed "yeah" Rick whispered "it's ok honey" she looked at him "mom" she managed.

Very slowly and carefully Rick moved forward and slid her into his arms, he saw the gun fall out of her hand with a clatter and she flinched at the sound before pressing herself against his chest, he carried her carefully over to Kate followed by Esposito "hey Kate" he whispered, she looked over as he lowered Livie down so that she could see her, weakly she managed to raise her hand and she stroked Livie's cheek a look of relief spreading over her face, Livie looked over and saw her mom and she let out a sob "mommy" she whimpered "shh, it's ok baby" Kate rasped "we're ok, everything is going to be ok" Livie stared at her then she spotted Adam lying there and her eyes widened with terror "no" she cried out "no no, I killed him, no make him go away" "shh" Rick whispered stroking her back gently "it's ok Livie"

"I killed him" she sobbed "hey hey Livie it's ok" Esposito soothed reaching out to touch her arm gently "calm down honey I promise you that it is ok" "but I killed someone" she sobbed "self-defence honey" Esposito whispered "Livie look at me" slowly she turned to look at him, he smiled comfortingly at her "I promise you that everything is going to be ok, and would I lie to you sweetie" she looked at him her eyes still wide before she shook her head.

Then her body wracked with sobs as she looked back down at her mom gasping on the floor and then back up at the limp body of the man she had killed, now covered with a sheet that Tony and Ziva had thrown over him, she turned her head and buried it into Rick's shoulder her fist clutching a handful of his shirt "make him go away daddy" she cried into his shoulder.

Rick froze briefly and saw everyone else look at him, he held her carefully whispering words of comfort to her, Kate was staring at him, then she weakly pushed his knee and he looked at her "get her out of here" she gasped, he looked at her "Rick please" she gasped "please get her out of here… hospital… now… hypothermia" he stared at her before looking down at her daughter crying in his arms, Kate gasped tears shining in her eyes and she pushed him again "hey" Esposito said and Rick looked at him "I got her dude" he said nodding at Kate "get Livie out of here".

Rick nodded and then he stood hurriedly, moving past the others to the door, he hurried down the hall before looking at the stairs, very steep, carefully he began to climb up them, they would be hard to climb even if you didn't have a shaking girl in your arms and he staggered almost falling, he bit back a stream of curses.

Ryan appeared at the top, a look of relief spread across his face as he saw Livie, then he reached down "here" he said "give her to me, you can't climb up with her" Rick hesitated looking at the scared little girl in his arms, then he realised Ryan was right, he wouldn't make it, so very carefully he handed her up, as she felt herself being transferred out of his arms, she cried out in terror "shh" Rick called "it's ok Livie, it's ok I am right here, Ryan is just getting you out the basement" breathing hard she turned her head "Ryan" she said tearfully "yeah hey kiddo" he said softly taking her in his arms as Rick scrambled up the steps into the room, Ryan carried her outside talking gently to her and for now she relaxed with him "good to see you kiddo" he said softly and she smiled tearfully, the tears still pouring down her cheeks as she looked around uncertainly for any danger, Rick spotted Tali moving forward a look of relief on her face but Livie didn't, she was too worked up.

Ziva suddenly appeared behind him holding some keys "I will drive you to the hospital" she said and he nodded gratefully, she moved towards a car touching her daughter's cheek briefly saying something to her in Hebrew before she clambered into the driver's seat, Rick hurriedly climbed into the back and then took the still shaking Livie from Ryan who scrambled into the passenger seat as Ziva turned on the engine and gunned it with a roar down the track away from the house.

Rick lay Livie across the back seat still cradling her as she clung to him tightly still crying "shh" he whispered "you are going to be ok Livie, you are safe now" her grip on her shirt tightened and she clung to him "I didn't want to do it" she sobbed "I didn't want to … shoot him, but he was strangling mom, I had to do it" she let out a wail "no no daddy" she sobbed turning back to Rick crying into his chest.

Rick stroked her hair whispering words of encouragement and support, he didn't know if it was her hysterical state of the hypothermia that was making her call him daddy, but he didn't mind, right now she needed a daddy and that was what he was going to be.

Ziva's exceptionally fast driving meant they were already heading back into DC, under the cover of the blazing sirens she weaved her way in and out of the traffic, her face set in grim determination, Ryan was clutching the seat looking slightly green but determined. Rick cuddled Livie close "it's ok" he soothed "you are going to be fine" he said, her body shuddered uncertainly and she began to mumble incoherently again, though sobs for her mom came spilling out.

She kept her face pressed against him, he could feel her tears soaking into his shirt as she blocked everything out, crying miserably, they arrived at the hospital in record timing and Ziva pulled up as close to the door as she could get, Ryan scrambled out after Rick as he carried Livie into the hospital calling out for help.

A team of doctors and nurses came running forward and tried to take a crying Livie from him and lie her on a bed but she let out a wail and clung to him "she was kidnapped" Rick shouted "let me stay with her" "are you family" one of the doctors shouted, he hesitated but Livie then sobbed "don't leave me daddy" he nodded "her father" he said, the doctors nodded and Rick looked down at Livie "hey honey" he said softly "I am going to lie you down ok, but don't worry I am right here I promise" slowly she nodded and he placed her on the bed keeping hold of her hand and following them down the corridor explaining "she was held for nearly four days in a basement, she didn't have her coat and it was really cold in that basement, she got hypothermia"

"do you know how long ago it was that she started showing the symptoms" one doctor asked as they took her into a room and started to move around, heating blankets were being brought out and she was carefully wrapped up in them, Rick thought "we were sent proof of life maybe 12 hours ago and she was beginning to look cold as in her skin had a bluish tinge to it, and a video was sent 10 hours, she was crying a lot and shaking but I don't know if that was because of the cold or the tears"

The doctor nodded "sit with her" he said "she has to stay calm", slowly Rick sat back down on the bed next to her, lifting her head into his lap keeping hold of her hand as a mask was placed over her mouth and nose to get her to breath warm air in, "it seems you found her just in time" one of the doctors said listening to her heart "the fear is making her heart beat faster, that speeds up the rate of hypothermia, any longer and she may have gone into shock" Rick nodded and looked down at Livie, she stared at him with wide brown eyes, he smiled comfortingly at her and she stared at him before slowly she closed her eyes with a sigh absolutely exhausted.

She was hooked up to an IV line and a heart monitor which flashed and beeped irregularly, but as the time drifted by, it regulated as her shivers subsided and she calmed slightly, one of the nurses looked at Rick "was she third girl held in the woods" she asked "one was brought in earlier with a gunshot wound, I heard there were two others" Rick nodded "yeah she was" he said "how is April" he asked, she smiled gently "absolutely fine" she said "well sore and malnourished but there is no reason why she shouldn't make a full recovery" Rick nodded "good" he said, the nurse looked at Livie "there is not much more we can do for her" she said "it is up to her now, stay with her and let us know if there is any change" she showed him the button to press then she left.

Rick looked down at the little girl in his arms, even in her sleep she clung to him, she looked vulnerable and frail, hooked up to various machines with a breathing mask on, he sighed and brushed her hair away from her face and gently kissed her forehead. He heard a knock on the door and saw Ryan, Ziva and Lanie all standing in the doorway, he smiled weakly at them "are you meant to be back here" he asked, Ziva and Ryan both held up their badges and he smiled at them "April ok" he asked Lanie who nodded as she moved in towards Livie "yeah grumpy that she couldn't go with you on the rescue mission and anxious to see her friends again, that girl is fiery" she said "wait till you meet Tali properly" Rick said and Ziva smiled.

Lanie looked down at her best friend's daughter "she has hypothermia" she said her eyes sombre, Rick nodded "yeah, the doctors have done everything they can for her, they said the rest is up to her" Lanie reached out to touch her cheek and the girl shifted in her sleep "I can't believe that her own father kidnapped her" she whispered "after abandoning Kate when he found out she was pregnant" Rick sighed and looked at Lanie "did you know about him" he asked "I mean you were the only one who she didn't hide Livie from"

Lanie looked at him "I knew that her father had never been in the picture" she said "I knew that she had raised Livie alone since she was 19 after her mother died, she never told me who he was, I never asked, part of me thought he might be dead" Rick nodded and sighed before looking up "have they brought her in yet" he asked "how is she" Ryan sighed, "I just got a call from Espo, they are nearly here, they are bringing Tali in too" he added to Ziva "though she isn't very happy about it" Ziva rolled her eyes "sounds like Tali" she said "I am thinking that maybe we should reserve a bed in hospital for her" she added, she gently kissed Livie's brow before heading off to her daughter, Lanie looked at Rick "we'll go see her" she said "come on Ryan" he nodded and they left, leaving Rick to care for his stepdaughter again.

XOXOXO

Kate was crying in the car, Esposito was holding her as she sobbed, comforting her, she was more than a member of his team to him, she was his friend, a very dear friend, Tony was driving with Tali sitting next to him, she turned to look at Kate and that was the first time Kate noticed her "Tali" she whispered "you are ok" the young girl nodded "yeah" she said "I am fine Kate, thanks to you" Kate closed her eyes and a few more tears leaked out before she whispered "what happened to April" Tali looked at her "she is at the hospital" she said, Kate's eyes opened again "she is ok" she asked in surprise "yeah" Tali said "she got shot, but it only grazed her, we managed to get out and back to the lab, I came with the team to direct them and she went to the hospital to get stitched up"

Kate sighed in relief "Tali I am sorry" she whispered, Tali frowned "for what" she asked "it was my fault you got taken, my fault you got hurt" Kate mumbled more tears leaking out of her eyes "no" Tali said "no Kate, it is not your fault, none of it was, but it was thanks to you that April and I got out, if it wasn't for you we might be dead now, don't blame yourself for anything Kate, except the fact that we are alive" Kate looked at her, her eyes still swimming with tears, then slowly she nodded.

They arrived at the hospital then and Esposito slid out picking Kate up "I can walk Javi" she mumbled "no you can't" he said walking in, there were already a team of doctors waiting, and with them were Ziva, Ryan and Lanie. Esposito carefully set Kate on the gurney, something about this place trigged her into hysterics again because she began to breath very fast "Livie" she gasped "hey Kate" Ryan said appearing next to her "hey, Livie is fine I promise you, Rick is with her ok" he, Lanie and Esposito followed her as she was taken further into the hospital "Livie" she cried out again "shh honey" Lanie soothed "it's ok she is safe" she looked at her best friend before she cried out again for her daughter and she began to sob for her "please" she sobbed "I want her now, I need her"

The doctors paused as the more they moved into the hospital the more hysterical she became, Esposito looked at the doctors "take her to her daughter" he said "we need to check her over and she needs rest" one of the doctors said calling for a sedative, he took the offered syringe and caught hold of Kate's wrist "no" she begged pulling weakly "please I want to see my daughter" the doctor ignored her struggled and carefully twisted her arm lowering the syringe, Esposito caught his hand as he made to inject the drug into her arm "hey" he said sharply "do you know what they have just been through"

The doctor looked at him "they were locked up for days in the freezing cold and dark alone with each other, her daughter got hypothermia, she was watching her daughter fade away with no means of saving her, they both nearly died" the doctor looked down at Kate lying on the gurney crying with Lanie holding her hand whispering words of comfort to her, Ryan stepped forward "take her to her daughter" he said firmly "you need her to relax right, well she isn't going to relax until she knows that her little daughter is ok" the doctor still looked uncertain they pulled out their badges, though they said NYPD; they had no jurisdiction here.

Another voice spoke up, very commanding "I suggest you take her to her daughter, because right now there are a lot of cops in this hospital who are very on edge" Ryan looked over to see Gibbs and Booth moving towards them, Gibbs narrowing his eyes at the doctors who eyed him warily, Booth held up his own badge "FBI" he said calmly "do as they ask", the doctors looked at each other "fine" one said "I know where she is" Ryan said and stepped in front of the gurney and led them all down the hall.

Kate twisted desperately, she had no energy left to move, but she was desperate to see her daughter, she was taken into a room where she saw Rick sitting on the edge of a bed holding a small figure close to him, he looked up as they entered "Kate" he whispered in relief, she stared at him in relief too before looking down at her daughter, her heart lurched as she saw her, she could feel the doctors beginning to tend to her but she ignored them staring at her daughter, lying there motionless in the bed, she was wrapped in half a dozen blankets warming her slowly up and there was a breathing mask over her mouth and nose feeding warm air into her lungs, she was connected to an IV line and a heart monitor which beeped, proving that there was life in her motionless little girl.

Slowly Kate reached across the gap towards her and Rick caught her hand, he held it for a second before he guided it to Livie's and helped her hold her daughters hand, she noticed that he was holding her other hand supportively, she looked up at him "thank you" she whispered, he smiled gently at her "always" he whispered. They all waited until Kate was finished with, they gave her some painkillers and then the doctors left, after a few minutes everyone else crept out leaving the family alone together.

Rick looked at Kate "I so thought I lost you" he whispered, she stared at him breathing slowly "thank god you are ok" he said, she looked at him, "do you know" she asked, he nodded slowly "I know that he was Livie's father" he said gently, she licked her sore lips before looking back at him and nodding slowly, her eyes shone with fresh tears "hey Kate it's ok" he whispered reaching across the gap to stroke her cheek, he noticed she stiffened slightly before relaxing, his touch was obviously not strong and forceful, it was gentle and comforting "you ok" he asked gently, she shook her head "I feel so bad" she whispered "he took those girls and Livie to get to me" "don't think about it Kate" Rick said, and she blinked back tears,

"he wasn't like that when I met him" she mumbled "he was kind to me and sweet, loving and caring, or so I thought, then the moment he found out I was pregnant he walked out on me" she sobbed "but not before he hit me and told me to kill her" she looked at Livie "I couldn't do it" she whispered "I wasn't going to kill her", she looked back at him "he told Livie everything" she choked out "he told her how upset I was when I found out about her, and how I was planning to give her away, to put her up for adoption and I was planning to Rick" she whispered gazing at him, he looked at her as he squeezed her hand "I thought it would be better for her to go to a family that could care for her, rather than stay with me, an 18 year old with nothing" she looked at Livie again "but when I held her I couldn't let her go, I couldn't watch her get taken away and get raised by someone else as their own because she was mine"

"Kate" Rick whispered "you made those choices for Livie, and they were the right choices, you have done such an amazing job of raising her alone, she is amazing and you are a brilliant mom" she didn't look convinced "he tried to turn her against me Rick" she whispered "he tried to make her hate me" he looked at her "what did Livie say to you when she found all this out" he asked, she swallowed hard before answering "she said it didn't matter" she whispered "because I was her mom and I was always there for her when she needed me" "there" Rick said "Livie loves you Kate, so so much and nothing will change that"

She sighed again looking tired "he wanted me to make her his" she said softly "he wanted her because he found out I was married and I had kept her and he got possessive, he doesn't care for her, he just hated to see what he considered his to be with someone else, I begged him to help her when I realised she had hypothermia, he just turned away" "Kate" Rick said firmly touching her cheek again "don't think about it anymore, it is over and he will never hurt you again ok" she nodded "now go to sleep" he said "get some rest, you look exhausted" she nodded "don't leave" she whispered staring at him pleadingly "I will be here when you wake up" he promised "I love you" she said "always" he smiled and kissed her hand not moving from where he had Livie, "and I love you Kate" he said softly "always, and forever".

**Well I hope you liked that – I enjoyed writing that one – all the sweet family moments **

**Please review, they mean a lot and they give me the motivation to write more and update quicker, all are appreciated.**

**Thanks **

**Mysticgirl101 **


	16. Chapter 15

**Hi thanks so much for the reviews I really appreciated them all hope you like this one, keep the reviews coming.**

Chapter 15

Livie knew something was different the moment she began to wake up, she was no longer cold and hungry, she was warm and comfortable, she wasn't lying on the floor uncomfortably, she was lying on something soft, she could hear beeping from somewhere around her and as she allowed her eyes to flutter open she saw a bright light above her, she closed them again frowning, squeezing them shut.

She heard movement to one side of her and then someone was taking her hand and squeezing it gently, a very familiar voice whispered "Livie, honey" she stirred before turning her head to the side and opening her eyes, she stared at the person sitting in the bed next to her "daddy" she whispered, Rick looked surprised when she said that but he nodded "hey kiddo" he said gently "glad to see you awake, you look better" she looked at him as he smiled at her "do you feel ok" he asked, she nodded "better" she whispered, then she looked at him "where's mom" she asked desperately "is she ok" he nodded to her and then looked past her "she is fine Livs" he said, she slowly looked over to see her mom curled up on her side sleeping in a hospital bed next to her.

Now that she could see her in the light Livie saw how battered and bruised her mom was, her arms were covered in marks from where he had held her, there were bruises from where she had been slapped and hit many times whilst protecting her daughter and her friends and on her throat there were dark recognisable shapes pressed into her skin, bruising in the shape of hands, the hands that had choked her.

Livie looked back at Rick who smiled gently at her "she came in after you fell asleep, she kicked up a bit of a fuss to say the least and they brought her in here with you" there was a gentle chuckle "a bit of a fuss is an understatement Rick" and Livie looked over to see Ryan, Esposito and Lanie all sitting on some chairs at the end of the beds smiling gently at her, she eyed them uncertainly before she smiled weakly "hey Aunt Lanie, you can stop worrying now" she said "girl I am always worrying about you and your mum when you are out of my sight because that is when you both get into trouble" Livie smiled at them "hey uncle Javi, hey Uncle Ryan when did you all arrive in DC" they both smiled at her "when we found out we came straight down girl" Esposito said "we protect and help our own, and you and your mom you are part of our family" she smiled weakly at them both "thank you" she said they all nodded.

She looked back at Rick then "I don't remember much after you got me out of the basement, what happened" she asked, he smiled gently at her "Ryan, Ziva and I drove you straight to the hospital" "I am never ever getting in a car with her again" Ryan muttered, Esposito smirked "seriously dude" he said "you are frightened by her driving, come on grow a pair", Ryan looked at his partner "dude you drive a couple of blocks with her and you will realise that is not driving, that is suicide I swear" Rick smiled at the two of them "she used to live in Israel with Mossad guys, she drives like that to avoid detection and to avoid attacks, you have to admit it got us here fast" Ryan nodded.

Rick turned to face Livie again who was smiling and continued "when we arrived the doctors came over and um you wouldn't let me go and I asked to stay with you, they asked if I was family and you called me daddy" he looked at her and she just looked at him back her look plainly saying 'and?' he smiled at her "we began to warm you up and eventually you passed out exhausted and well you slept for a long while" she looked at him "how long is a while" she asked, he grinned "well we um got you out early afternoon yesterday and by mid-afternoon you had fallen asleep", he looked at his watch "mid –afternoon now, so a whole day basically" "whoa" she said "never done that before" she laughed and then winced gently "you ok" Rick asked, she nodded slowly "just sore" she said, he looked at her "they did examine you whilst you were sleeping" he said "you had a broken rib, but they taped it all up, don't worry" she smiled tiredly before looking over at her mom.

"what about mom" she asked, Rick's face hardened and he shook his head "you don't need to know honey" he said softly, she looked at him "tell me" she whispered, he hesitated before looking at her gently "she has a concussion, haemorrhaging, two broken ribs, one cracked, small amount of internal bleeding, fractured hyoid bone, the list goes on and on Livie, once she had fallen asleep they took her to get sorted out, because she wouldn't leave you, she is under anaesthetic right now and they are leaving her on it to give her body a bit of time to heal" he looked at her and Livie could see the anger in his eyes.

"she was extremely badly beaten" Esposito said gently "did you see it" Livie nodded "he mostly threw her around or slapped her, he hit her a couple of times, it was mostly when she was defending me, a couple of times he continued to hit her but I closed my eyes I didn't want to see" she shivered, Ryan smiled gently at her "it's ok honey you did the right thing", she smiled weakly at him, she looked down at herself and saw the scratches and other marks across her arms, the bruises at her wrists, she turned her palm over to see it bandaged, the cut from his knife obviously stitched up.

Esposito came forward "hey Livs" he said softly "what happened here" he asked gently as Ryan came forward, he took her hand and looked at the bandage, she swallowed "he was saying that I was his and that mom was his and mom told him we weren't, he grabbed me and started screaming at mom that I was his by blood, and he pulled a knife out and cut my hand he showed mom my blood and told her that was his blood running through my veins, mum was crying her eyes out begging him to let me go, he just laughed" she looked at them miserably before looking at where the cut was.

Ryan rubbed her shoulder gently "it's ok Livie" he said "you don't need to tell us everything, the doctors just wanted to know where that came from" she nodded not looking at them, Rick looked up then "do you feel up to a couple of visitors" he asked, she followed his gaze and she smiled in delight when she saw who was standing in the doorway "Tali" she gasped "you're ok" Tali grinned and rushed forward away from her parents and the rest of the NCIS team and hugged her best friend enthusiastically "um Tali can't breathe" Livie gasped, "oh sorry" Tali said pulling away "I am just so glad you are ok, we were all so worried and then when you came out I got so scared because you were in a state and oh anyway we were worried" Livie smiled and hugged her friend firmly before patting the edge of the bed and Tali hopped up as her family entered.

"yes good idea" Tony said as he came forward "you are meant to be resting ninja, we did have to sneak you out" he grinned "hey Livs how you feeling "not bad" she said giving them all hugs as they entered and approached her, they dragged extra chairs around and they smiled gently at her, she smiled back at them all before frowning "what" McGee asked "when was the last time any of you slept" she asked "you all look exhausted" Tony shrugged "we caught a few hours here and there" he said "but we are fine seriously", both she and Tali looked at him, he winked at the pair of them.

Ziva looked at Livie, she looked ok, smiling and laughing with them all but she could see that she wasn't ok, deep down she was struggling to remain calm and composed, just like Tali after she had taken her first life, maybe she would encourage Tali to talk to her alone sometime, or she would do it, after all she knew what she was going through, she also knew what it was like to take a family member's life, she had taken her brother's life, after he had gone rogue, protecting Gibbs, Livie had taken her biological father's life, protecting her mother.

She looked over at the other bed where Kate was curled up defensive even in her sleep, she looked like hell, covered in bruises and she could see scratches on her arms and at her throat, they were her own, from where she had clawed frantically at his hands trying to get him to let go, she had been through so much, all for their children and her own.

Tali was chatting away happily to Livie who was listening with a smile on her face, Tali had been pronounced fine apart from like the others, malnourished and beaten but nothing bad. Livie asked then quietly "what happened to April" not looking at them all, Tony frowned and then stood up moving out of the room "you don't know" Tali asked confused, Livie shook her head and they all sat in silence until Tony reappeared followed by Booth and the rest of the Jeffersonion team and…

"April, you're ok" Livie gasped, April grinned and moved carefully over to hug her friend and she too scrambled onto the bed "of course I am ok" she said "takes more than a bullet to take me down" she grinned as they hugged each other tightly "relax Livs I am fine, the bullet only grazed me" she sighed "everyone is over reacting" she said "I didn't need to stay overnight in the hospital I want to go home now" she looked at her dad "not until the doctor says you are ready" he said with a smile "Tali doesn't have to stay any more" April tried "Tali wasn't shot" her mom pointed out and April pouted before she sighed and leaned back against the pillows next to Livie, Tali did the same on the other side, squashing together "I never knew how many kids you could get in one hospital bed till now" Rick joked and all three girls grinned at him happily, their little team united.

They all stayed in there until the nurses came in and were shocked by the number of people in the room and began to shoo them out scowling at the three girls on the bed "well" April sighed as she slid off "later Livs ok" she grinned and whispered her room number and grinning Livie nodded and they all left the room, the nurse then asked Rick and the team to leave so she could give her an examination and then leave her to get some sleep, Rick looked at Livie "go wash" she said "I will be fine for a couple of hours, all of you seriously get some sleep" they looked at each other "go" she said "before I ask Ziva to come kick your asses" they smiled at her and one by one they left after giving her a hug, Rick hugged the little girl who hugged him tightly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out her mom's mobile phone "call me if you need me" he said gently handing it too her and she nodded "I will" she said "but I am not really alone the others are down the hall if I need them, oh can you bring Alexis back with you" she asked, he nodded "of course, she is dying to see you but wasn't allowed to stay as she wasn't family" Livie nodded and after kissing her forehead gently Rick left to go back to the room and shower and a couple of hours sleep sounded like heaven, he smiled to himself and headed to the car.

Livie fingered her mom's phone before she carefully opened it and she smiled at the picture her mom had saved as her background, they had been at the park not too long ago and Rick had grabbed her mom's phone and pulled them all together and said smile holding the phone at arm's length, they had all laughed and the picture showed all four of them grinning cheekily at the camera, Livie stared at it for a while before slowly she shut the phone again and curled up on her side clutching the phone looking at her mom sleeping a few feet away, slowly closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

XOXOXO

Ziva moved out of the hospital room to call Angela and check to see how Aiden was, to tell her that Tony would be picking him up soon and give her an update, the artist was glad to hear of their recovery and assured her that Aiden was fine and was fast asleep in Brennan's office as they spoke, she thanked her before hanging up and heading back to April's room where everyone was now gathered whilst Livie and her mom recovered more.

As she passed their room though she paused and looked in, Kate was still sleeping off the anaesthetic, but Livie was curled up on her side staring into space, gently Ziva knocked on the door, Livie's eyes instantly flashed down to look at her "hi Ziva" she said softly "hello Livie how are you feeling now" Ziva asked gently, she shrugged "ok" she said "shouldn't you be sleeping" Ziva asked moving in to sit in a chair beside her bed "can't sleep" she mumbled slowly looking at her "every time I close my eyes I see him there, hurting me, mom, April or Tali, I am also scared that if I fall asleep I might find that this is all a dream and I will wake up and be back in that cell feeling myself fade away"

Ziva reached out gently and took the little girl's hand "it's ok" she said softly "I promise you it is not a dream Livie, it is over, you are safe" Livie shifted under the blanket and rolled onto her back to look at her "I can't close my eyes" she whispered "I see him lying there dead and I…" she let out a choking sob "…I killed him" "shh" Ziva whispered rising to give the little girl a hug "shh, it's ok tateleh (darling) I promise you are going to be ok" Livie sobbed for a few minutes before Ziva whispered "I know how you feel Livie" the girl looked at her.

"you feel bad because biologically he was your father, you think him to be your family whether he cared for you or not, no matter what he has done you think he was your father" she nodded slowly looking up at her "but he wasn't Livie" she said gently "to be a father he would have had to do something, to care for you, he did nothing so whether or not his blood runs through your veins, he wasn't your father" she cupped Livie's face gently "I don't see a hint of him in you" she said gently "you are completely your mother's daughter, kind caring, strong, protective, there is nothing bad in you Livie, I promise, so don't think of him as your father" she smiled at her "I heard you call Rick daddy"

Livie smiled and nodded gently "Adam Wesley may have been your father Livie, but he will never be your daddy, it takes something really special to be a daddy, and Rick, he is everything you need in a daddy ok, forget about Adam, your father is Rick, by blood or not it doesn't matter" Livie smiled "thanks Ziva" she whispered hugging her again "that was exactly how I felt, how did you know" Ziva hesitated before saying "because I killed a member of my family" "oh" Livie said quietly "sorry", Ziva shook her head "it is fine honey it happened a very long time ago, before Tali was born when I first met Tony, it does not hurt me much now" Livie was silent before she very hesitantly asked "who was it" Ziva looked down at her "my half-brother Ari"

She sighed and looked away "but I didn't consider him to be my brother when I pulled the trigger, I was sent from Israel to control him, and I was convinced of his innocence, that he hadn't killed the NCIS agent Caitlyn Todd, then I followed Gibbs back to his house where Ari was waiting for him, when he raised that rifle to point at Gibbs, I knew that was not my brother, my brother was gone, this was just a rogue agent, and I knew what I had to do, so I did it and saved Gibbs' life"

Livie looked up at her "how did you feel" she asked, Ziva looked at her "conflicted" she said "like you do now, I knew I had done right, but I felt I had done wrong, and for a long time that was how I felt before I got over it, I am fine now Livie and you shall be fine too, I promise" "thank you Ziva" Livie said again hugging her, Ziva hugged the girl back "you are welcome honey" she said, then she pulled away "now why don't you try and get some sleep sweetie so when your mom wakes up you can help look after her yes" she nodded and slowly lay down under the blankets, Ziva waited until she had settled before she turned to leave.

"Ziva" Livie called, she turned to look at her "I don't think you killed your brother" she said gently "he was gone like you said, taken over by the rogue, I think that by killing him, you set him free" Ziva smiled at her "I think you are right Livie" she whispered "thank you" Livie smiled before she very slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Slowly Ziva closed the door and turned to find Gibbs standing there, she blinked in surprise and he smiled at her "that was lovely Ziver" he said gently, Ziva smiled "I know how she feels" she said gently "I just wanted to show her that she wasn't alone" Gibbs stepped forward and kissed her brow "that was exactly what she needed to hear Ziver" he said "you really helped her" Ziva smiled and hugged him "I am glad" she whispered "she has been through enough, they all have" he chuckled "I agree but you know these children Ziver, for them trouble appears to be just round the corner" she smiled "yes" she said "I just hope we can find them an alternative path around that corner" he nodded.

They heard footsteps and looked up to see Booth coming down the hall with Tony who was holding AJ, Booth had hold of Libby who was looking excited, she waved at Ziva excitedly who smiled "where's April daddy" she demanded "she is just over there" Booth said "but remember" he warned "she has a poorly stomach and she is very sore, so you have to be gentle ok" she nodded "I promise daddy" she said, Ziva smiled at Tony who grinned at her from where he had AJ, their son was chattering away to himself calling out to everyone who passed making most of the nurses coo at him, "oh he is going to be such a ladies' man when he is older" Tony said as they followed Booth and Libby down the hall, Ziva rolled her eyes.

Booth very carefully set Libby on the floor and pushed the door open saying "gently remember", Ziva felt her heart melt as she saw the look of absolute delight on Libby's face as she saw April sitting in the hospital bed talking to Tali who sat at the other end "April" she squealed and her older sister looked up and the look of delight was mirrored on her face "Libby" she said with a smile "hey baby girl" Libby rushed towards the bed scrambling onto it, Tali assisted her and then she crawled over to April where she suddenly hesitated unsure of where she could touch her sister without hurting her, April smiled and leaned forward pulling her into her arms holding the four year old close against her chest, Libby clung to her tightly burying her head into her shoulder, if Libby caused April any pain, she didn't show it, she just hugged her little sister tightly.

"hey Libs" she said softly as they all heard her let out a small sob "what's wrong kiddo" "you were gone" Libby sobbed "and I didn't know where you were, I was scared I wouldn't see you again" "hey don't think like that Libby" April said gently pulling her sister's head up to look at her "I will always come back to you and I am never away from you kiddo, I am here" she touched her sister's heart "always, whenever you need me" Libby smiled and hugged April again "missed you" she mumbled "I missed you too honey" April said holding her close.

Ziva smiled at the touching little scene before looking over as AJ let out a squeal and clapped his hands together excitedly looking at Tali who grinned "Shalom KatanAkah" (hello little brother) she said reaching out to take him from her dad, she sat him on her lap hugging him tightly as he giggled happily gripping her shirt tightly in his fist, she grinned "you know I swear he has grown" she said looking at her parents "that is because he eats like a donkey" Ziva said "eats like a _horse_" everyone corrected and she sighed exasperated "I give up" she said and Tony grinned as he placed one arm around her shoulders "close" he said, Tali grinned at her mom.

They all chatted together, the teams half reunited until there was a tap on the door and Alexis entered followed by her dad "hi Lexie" Tali and April both called and she rushed out to give them a hug, she had gone to help Angela with Libby and Aiden and hadn't seen April and had only seen Tali briefly, she hugged them tightly "oh my god I am so glad you are ok" she breathed, they both grinned and hugged her back "course we are ok" April said "we had the ninja on our side" she gave Tali a gentle nudge "seriously though" she said looking at Tali "you did save me Tali, with the picking the lock – which you have to teach me to do, and the hiding in the bush and the covering our trail, I would not have made it if it weren't for you" Tali grinned and hugged her "ditto" she said "you kept us strong" she said "and protected us as best you could" she grinned again "teamwork" she said raising her fist "teamwork" April echoed and they bumped fists grinning.

They chatted with Alexis before she and her dad went to check on Livie and Kate, Rick looked at his daughter, she looked worried "hey" he said gently "they are fine I promise" she nodded slowly and followed him into the room.

Livie was lying curled up on her side eyes closed and Kate was in the same position she had been in last time, Alexis stared at them both as she moved into the room and lowered herself into a chair between them, Rick sat himself down next to her, she looked at Kate and her eyes filled with pain "she doesn't look fine dad" she whispered, he put his arm around her "I know" he said looking at his wife lying their bruised and beaten "but you know Kate honey, it takes a lot more than this to take her down" Alexis smiled and looked at him with her clear blue eyes "you promise they are going to be ok" she whispered "now would I lie to you" he asked hugging her tight and she smiled "no" she whispered "thanks dad" he kissed the top of her head lovingly.

Just then there was a sigh from behind of "Lexie" they both turned to see Livie waking up slowly blinking herself awake "hey Livie" Alexis whispered, slowly Livie pulled herself into a sitting position and Alexis sat on the edge of the bed hugging her tightly, Livie clung to her tightly "missed you Lexie" she whispered, Alexis stroked her hair "I missed you to Livs, and I was so worried" Livie smiled up at her "you don't need to worry about me Lexie" she said "hell I don't" Alexis mock growled at her making her smile.

Rick watched the two of them with a smile on his face before looking at Kate, slowly he reached out and took her hand, he rubbed his thumb against the back of it before running his fingers over the two bands of white gold that lay on her finger, they were dirty but still shone weakly, he would have to get them cleaned up, he held her hand listening to the girls until he sensed movement beside him and he looked over to see Kate stir uncertainly her eyelids fluttering slightly, his smile widened "hey Livie" he said softly shifting his chair so that she could see "it's time" he said and Livie smiled in relief.

XOXOXO

Kate could hear movement around her as she began to wake up, she didn't want to though, she was tired, so so tired and everything was so comfortable here, when she was asleep, she suddenly felt someone squeeze her hand and a gentle loving voice said softly "Kate can you hear me", she mumbled and then very slowly opened her eyes, she blinked a few times until her vision cleared and she saw who was sitting next to her "Rick" she murmured, he smiled and nodded, she groaned and placed one hand on her forehead "how'd you feel" Rick asked gently "pretty bad" she mumbled "sore and achy and my throat hurts", she looked at him "but alive" she said with a small smile "thanks to you guys" he smiled and took her hand, she looked at him "Livie" she asked softly, he smiled "see for yourself" he said shifting so that she could look past him and see her daughter lying awake in the next bed looking at her with a relieved smile on her face as she sat up next to Alexis, "hi mommy" she whispered.

Kate smiled in relief "hey" she whispered "you ok honey" she nodded "never better" she said and Kate smiled before pulling herself into a sitting position before gasping in pain "yeah stay down" Rick said pushing her back "you are still healing" she groaned "urgh what's wrong with me" she asked "you don't want to know" Livie and Alexis said together, she looked at them before looking at Rick "it would be quicker to tell you what isn't healing" he said "oh" she mumbled, she could see that her body had been taped up and everything, her wounds hidden under layers of bandages, she gingerly put one hand to her throat wincing as she felt the tender area.

Livie watched her then slowly she pushed the blankets off of her and caught hold of the stand holding the IV fluids that was connected to her arm, she tugged it round the bed and then slid off the bed and dragged it over to her mom's bed and slowly and carefully she clambered onto the bed, Kate smiled happily and opened her arms and very carefully almost hesitantly, Livie lay herself down in her arms curled up against her, Kate sighed in relief as she felt her daughter slip back into her arms, she held her tightly before looking up at Rick who had Alexis pressed against him, she smiled at the pair of them "I missed you" she whispered "we missed you too" they both said together.

She looked at them all watching her "I look pretty bad don't I" she said, they all nodded, she smiled at them, "I am fine ok, give me a few days and I will be back to catching bad guys"

"oh I wouldn't be so sure about that" she looked up and her face spit into a huge grin as she saw Ryan, Esposito and Lanie all standing in the door way to her room "hey guys" she said, they smiled at her "good to see you awake there Becks" Esposito said using his old nickname for her, she smiled and released Livie with one arm to hug him, he hugged her back "thanks Javi" she whispered "no problem" he said softly "we protect our own" she smiled and he stepped back allowing Ryan forward "do not do that again" he said hugging her gently "dam we were worried about you" she smiled again "will try not too" she promised.

Ryan stepped back and she saw Lanie glaring at her "hi Lanie" she said innocently "oh don't you just say hi to me all innocently girl" Lanie growled "what part of don't do anything stupid did you not understand" she demanded "seriously girl, we turn our backs for five minutes and you disappear, seriously if you hadn't just woken up and you weren't covered in bruises and bandages and god knows what else I would seriously shake you, come on what the hell were you thinking Kate"

Everyone sat there awkwardly not knowing what to do, Kate took the rant well used to them, the moment Lanie paused for breath though she held up her arm "missed you too Lanie" she said quickly, Lanie groaned and hugged her "ah Kate you really had me worried" she said "and don't think you are off the hook" she added still hugging her and they all laughed.

Just then a small auburn haired girl came rushing in squealing "Livie and Kate are awake" Booth followed quickly "sorry" he said scooping his five year old up, "she heard you talking" Kate smiled "no problem hello Libby" she said, Libby giggled and waved happily from Booth's arms, Kate smiled at Booth "hi" she said "how's April", he smiled back at her "she's good chomping at the bit to get out of here though" he looked at her "how you feeling" he asked "yeah not bad" she said, she looked down at Livie still curled up against her "better now though" she said and he smiled.

"did I hear Libby say Kate is awake" they all looked over to see Tali and April peering round the door, they grinned when they saw Kate and rushed forward eagerly to greet her, she smiled and gave them both a hug "April you do know that that nurse is going to skin you alive if she finds you out of bed again" Booth said "ah don't care" she said "I am fine I swear", Booth rolled his eyes, "I am glad to hear that you are ok" Kate said looking at April "we were worried about you" she grinned "everyone worries about me" she said "they don't need to" Booth snorted but covered it up with a cough as April narrowed her eyes at him grinning.

The rest of the teams came in and then just like that their unity was whole again, their alliance complete again, they all laughed and joked, acting normal, and Kate and Livie felt their spirits lift until visiting hours ended and they heard the nurses moving down the hall clearing the rooms for the night, April hurriedly said goodnight and then bolted down the hall back into her room, Livie slipped quickly into her own bed again and everyone quickly said their goodbyes except for Rick and Alexis who stayed whilst the nurses gave them both a quick examination and then they were given five minutes to say their goodbyes, Alexis went to say goodbye to Livie whilst Rick moved forward and gently gathered Kate up into his arms, she hugged him tightly, relieved to be in the safety of his embrace, "rest and recover my kick ass detective" he said softly, she smiled and kissed him gently, he then released her and Alexis came over and Kate hugged her tightly watching Livie hug Rick tightly, Livie looked at her mom before she very gently whispered "night daddy".

She saw Rick's eyes light up and she smiled at the delight in his eyes and the look of content on her daughter's face as she hugged Rick, "night honey" he murmured "sleep tight ok" she nodded and slowly lay down, he tugged the blankets over her before turning back to Kate and Alexis who were both watching with a smile on their faces, he looked back at Livie and then back at them and he smiled sheepishly, Kate grinned "I am glad it's you Rick" she whispered, he smiled and gave her one last kiss before heading out of the room as the nurse came and shooed them out.

As they rode the elevator down he looked at Alexis who was grinning at him "what" he asked "nothing daddy" she said with a grin, he looked at her "are you ok with that" he asked "Livie calling me daddy" she gave him a look "dad I think that it is wonderful and perfect, she needed a daddy and you were there for her, you protected her and got her to safety, just like a daddy should do, I am over the moon that she called you daddy because I think that is what Livie needs right now and I am glad that you are there for her" he smiled and pulled her into his arms "You know me" he said pressing a kiss to the top of her head "always there for my girls" she grinned at him happily.

XOXO

A few hours later Kate was lying in the hospital bed staring into space when she heard a small voice whisper "mommy" she looked up over to her daughter "yes baby" Livie looked at her "are we safe now" she asked, Kate smiled "yes honey we are safe, I promise" Livie smiled and checked the coast was clear before she leapt off of her bad and scrambled onto Kate's curling up next to her, Kate smiled and carefully pulled her close one arm resting over her daughter.

"I heard you call Rick daddy" she said softly, Livie looked over at her, Kate smiled and kissed her gently "I think that he is the perfect man to be your daddy" she said, Livie smiled "he is perfect" she said softly "and he is the perfect husband for you" Kate smiled "that he is" she murmured hugging Livie close, her daughter then yawned "get some more sleep honey" Kate whispered tugging the blankets over her, "we are safe and nothing is going to harm us ever again" Livie smiled and closed her eyes and within a matter of minutes, she was fast asleep.

Kate watched her sleep for a few minutes brushing hair out of her eyes before she carefully hugged her daughter closer and closed her eyes, it wasn't long before she joined her daughter asleep, peacefully for the first time, curled up together not out of fear and protection, but out of love and comfort, as a family.

**Hope you liked it – from now on it will be fluffy sweet friendship chapters, would love to know what you think so please review**

**Thanks mysticgirl101**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Rick arrived at the hospital early the next morning with Alexis eager to see his girls again, they hurried down the hall and opened the door to their room where they both stopped and smiled at the sight of Kate and Livie curled up asleep together, Kate hugging her daughter, both with a very content look on their faces, he looked at Alexis who grinned "let's give them a bit longer" he murmured and she nodded happily, they crept down the hall and peered into April's room to find her sitting up eating breakfast.

"hey guys" she greeted beckoning them in, grinning they sat down "how you feeling" Rick asked "not bad" she said "more pissed off that I am stuck in here" she scowled grumpily "I am sure you will be able to leave soon" Alexis said "I had better" she grumbled "otherwise I might have to kill someone" Rick grinned "wouldn't advise it" he said and she grinned back "Kate and Livie still sleeping" she asked, they both nodded, she smiled "when I went past earlier they were curled up together, they still like that" they nodded again, she smiled at them.

They chatted until her parents arrived and announced that she had been released "probably because you annoyed them so much" Booth joked making her scowl at him, Rick grinned as he and Alexis left and headed back where they found Kate awake still hugging Livie who was still sleeping "hey" she mumbled sleepily "hey beautiful" Rick whispered giving her a kiss, he felt her smile as their lips met "you know" he said as he sat down "I am pretty sure those hospital beds are single beds" she smiled and ran her fingers gently through Livie's hair "yeah" she murmured "she should probably get back in her own bed now, she shook her daughter gently "Livs" she called softly "wake up honey" Livie mumbled and buried he head into the pillow "no" she mumbled "comfy" Kate smiled and then looked at Rick who grinned.

He stood up and moved over to the bed picking her up careful not to disturb the IV line, then he carried her back over to her bed "hey" she muttered "no fair daddy" he smiled and set her down on her bed again tugging the blanket over her as she sighed and snuggled back down to sleep, Rick looked back at Kate "there a secret party here last night or something" he asked "you both look exhausted, she smiled "nah just difficult to fall asleep when you spent the whole day sleeping and you are on edge" he smiled at her "you just need to relax beautiful" he said leaning in to kiss her again "ew" Livie mumbled and Rick smiled at her looking over to see her properly awake now, he chuckled "and how is the youngest sleeping beauty feeling" he asked moving over to kiss her forehead "better" she said brightly and making him smile, she did look a lot better now, the little spark was glimmering in her eye and her smile seemed more genuine, slowly but steadily both of his girls were coming back to him.

XOXO

It was a week later when Kate and Livie were finally released from the hospital, they were both very relieved and eager to get out even though they were meant to be resting for the next few weeks. Rick smiled as he led them out to the car, his smile dropped when he saw Kate slide into the passenger seat biting her lip to avoid showing her pain, she was still sore from her beatings though she never showed it, the bruises on her neck were finally beginning to fade, they had darkened considerably making it hard for them to forget, but now they were beginning to yellow and fade.

He drove them back to the Jeffersonion and they entered to find their united team there waiting for them, they all laughed in relief and hugged each other laughing and joking with each other until Rick cleared his throat and stood on the step to the platform so that everybody could see him "hi" he said grinning at them all making them all grin back at him, "let's just say these past couple of weeks have been um stressful and tiring" everyone nodded "we all need to relax" he said, he looked them all over "which is why I would like to invite you all to come stay in our house at the Hamptons for a week or so" everyone stared at him "it might be a little crammed with all of us there but I think we can manage, we will have a week of lying in the early spring sun on the beach surrounded by friends and family who's in?"

Everyone looked around before Libby came forward "beach" she said eagerly and everyone laughed "I think that means we are in" Booth said picking his youngest up, Livie grinned at April, "we're in too" Tony said with a grin making Tali grin at her friends, "awesome" Rick said "everybody pack your stuff then, road trip haha" he grinned at Kate "oh and bring something nice to wear there are some great restaurants in the Hamptons" he moved over to his wife "didn't show those to you last time" he murmured, she whacked him playfully on the arm, laughing everyone arranged to meet back here in an hour, the team at the Jeffersonion and Gibbs, McGee and Abby all said they would come up for a bit but allow the three families the time they needed to recover. Kate smiled at Rick "not a bad idea" she said softly and he grinned "I thought it was pretty good, plus it is still quite warm in the Hamptons at the moment" she smiled "let's go pack our bags and check out of the hotel" she said "yay I love the Hamptons" Livie said excitedly, Rick winked at Kate before saying "I think you will love it even more this time" he said making both Livie and her mother frown in confusion.

XOXO

Tony followed Rick's car down the road, they had all driven from DC to the Hamptons, stopping only for food and it was now early evening and everyone was eager to get to the house in the Hamptons, AJ had passed out in his car seat after spending most of the trip playing with Tali who had been happy to keep him entertained or staring out the window at the passing scenery.

"whoa" Tony said staring as Rick pulled his car up in front of a house "I'm definitely in the wrong line of work" "nice" Tali said unbuckling her seat belt and opening the door, Booth drew up next to them "hey Bones" he said as he opened the door, he looking slightly dazed "can we get one" April laughed "I wouldn't say no" she said. Rick grinned "welcome" he said unlocking the front door and leading them all in "ok so the girls are all going to have to share a room, thought we could make a little slumber party den in the living room" he said "sweet" they all said making him smile "Tony and Ziva can have one room with AJ and Brennan and Booth you can have another, when the other teams arrive we will figure something else out" they all nodded and were given a tour of the house "definitely wrong line of work" Tony said as they all stepped onto the porch to stare at the sunset over the sea just a few yards away "beach" Libby said excitedly "tomorrow" Brennan said picking her up.

"hey Livie" Rick said, she looked at him grinning "can you, Tali and April go check the outhouse please, make sure everything is in order, check there is nothing out there that shouldn't be" Livie nodded and headed off towards the outhouse, Kate looked at Rick grinning as he watched them tug the door open "what did you do" she asked, he wrapped one arm around her "wait for it" he murmured. There was a sudden excited squeal from inside the outhouse as the light clicked on and they all moved forward to look inside.

Livie stood there arms around the neck of a pretty dappled grey horse who was snuffling her hair, nickering gently, Livie had a huge smile on her face, bigger than any that had been there in a while "Skye" she breathed "hey" she looked at Rick "you brought her up" she said excitedly, he nodded "told you I would turn the outhouse into a little stable" he said, she launched herself at him excitedly "thank you dad" she said hugging him tightly "no problem kiddo" he said hugging her back releasing her back to the horse who was asking for attention from Tali and April who were smiling as they stroked her neck.

Kate smiled "how did you get the horse up here" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist "I called in some help" he said nodding towards the door, she looked over to see Lanie, Ryan and Esposito standing there "phew" Ryan said "when you asked us to get the horse here before you did you could have given us a bit more time" he grinned "I slowed up as much as possible" he said innocently, Ryan scowled "you stopped once for lunch, we had barely got the horse out the trailer when you arrived, that took some manoeuvring, she didn't want to back up" Livie looked at them "you do know there is a door at the front of the trailer" she said "so you could have walked her out forwards"

Ryan stared "you have to be joking" he said, Livie shook her head grinning "aw man" he said, giggling Livie hugged the three of them "thank you guys" she said softly "no problem kiddo" Esposito said "she is a sweet little mare isn't she, good as gold the whole way up" Livie nodded happily "you guys ok to take the last room" Rick asked "yup" they said "too late to be driving home" Ryan said with a yawn "dude I drove most of the way up here I don't know why you are complaining" Esposito said everyone laughed and Livie began to place some bedding down in the brand new stable with Alexis chatting happily to April and Tali who stood with Skye. "Cheers guys" Rick said "I owe you one" they grinned.

They didn't do anything that evening too exhausted, so once the girls had sorted the horse out they headed inside and prepared for bed, the girls made their slumber party bed and then after changing they all fell on it chatting happily, even Libby who curled up next to April and promptly fell asleep, the adults headed upstairs talking quietly before retiring to their respected rooms and soon there was silence throughout the house, as everyone drifted into a peaceful slumber.

XOXOXO

Livie woke up early the next morning, she always did here, she looked over at the rest of the girls still sprawled out fast asleep, she carefully wriggled off the bed and grabbed some leggings and an old top, she slipped her swimwear on and then those on top before grabbing her trainers and heading out to the outhouse.

Skye was already awake and Livie found her food in a box along with the rest of her things, grinning she fed the mare and then began to see to her, refilling her water bucket and mucking out the little stable and filling her hay nets, she then tied the mare up outside whilst she groomed her and once the sun had risen enough for her to see and it was safe to ride her she slipped Skye's bridle on and stood on an unturned bucket scrambling on to the mare's broad bare back.

She felt instantly at home and she headed off towards the beach at a leisurely pace allowing Skye to walk on a lose rain down to the sea where they waded for a bit before she urged her into a trot and began to trot up the beach, she loved it here, their house was miles from anywhere else and the other houses were abandoned so she didn't have to worry about disturbing anyone, she smiled as she reached the end of the beach and then she turned and began to trot back before urging the mare into a canter, she laughed as they broke into the smooth loping movement and she flung her head back smiling as she wind pulled at her hair, and she tasted freedom at the back of her throat.

XO

Kate awoke to the sound of the sea and smiled, Rick was still out of it so she slipped out of bed and dressed before creeping down the stairs, she smiled again at the sight of the girls asleep, but there was one missing, she didn't need many guesses as to where she was, she opened the French window and slipped out into the sunrise and sat on a small stone wall, sure enough she looked down the beach to see a dappled grey mare cantering towards her with a rider on her back, silhouetted in the rising sun.

She heard movement and looked over to see Tony and Ziva emerge, with Ziva holding AJ who was feeding from a bottle, she smiled as they joined her watching the sun rise and the rider moving down the beach, as Livie approached she saw that she was riding bareback and as they watched she lay the reins on Skye's neck and raised her hands high in the air so she only hung on with her legs, she let out a delighted laugh before lowering her hands and catching hold of a handful of Skye's mane laughing in delight, she slowed as she approached the house to a trot and then a walk "morning" she said with a grin "morning" Kate said "where is your hat" Livie grinned innocently "couldn't find it" she said, Kate rolled her eyes "be careful then" she said "always am" Livie said leaning forward to hug Skye's neck, Kate smiled and stood up moving over to greet the horse who greeted her with a friendly nudge and a nicker.

"cool her off and then come in for breakfast" she encouraged as she heard more movement within the house, Livie nodded and then rode off towards the stable "does she always ride without a saddle" Tony asked "yeah most of the time" she said with a smile "she likes the feeling of being one with the horse" Tony nodded with a smile. They headed back into the house to find Libby standing in the doorway to the living room rubbing her eyes exhaustedly "morning sweetie" Kate said bending down to greet her "sleep ok" she nodded tiredly "beach today" she asked, Kate smiled "let's eat some breakfast first shall we" she said, the four year old nodded and moved into the kitchen, Ziva went and finished feeding AJ and handed him to Tony to be burped and she began to help Kate, Livie came in and after washing off a bit she helped too and they began to cook a mountain of food.

The smell of bacon, eggs, pancakes and coffee soon woke the rest and everyone headed down eagerly, they filled their plates and then went and sat on the porch next to the swimming pool to eat laughing delightedly. Just as they were finishing Kate saw Tony and Rick stand up cheeky grins on their faces as they moved round to the girls "um" she said to Ziva "I am worried about Rick, should I be worried about Tony" Ziva looked up "you don't need to be worried" she said with a smile "but Tali does".

Both men pounced and Rick grabbed Livie whilst Tony grabbed Tali, both girls squealed, Livie realised what was going to happen and began to thrash madly "no dad" she said with a giggle "don't you dare", Tali caught on "oh no dad" she said "no no too early _don't_" the last part came out as a squeal as she and Livie were dumped in the pool, Tony and Rick gave each other high fives as everyone else laughed as Tali and Livie resurfaced spluttering, they both trod water scowling at their fathers who grinned, April eyed her father apprehensively as he grinned playfully at her before she moved away from him, "ooo I am so getting you back for that" Tali growled to her father as she clambered out shivering and sopping wet.

Livie hoisted herself out and shook herself like a dog "ergh" she said "well at least I don't smell like horse now but I was planning to go riding again so it didn't really matter" Rick grinned at her "let me guess you are going to get me back for that too" she nodded "be very afraid" she said in a dark ominous voice making everyone else laugh. "Beach now" Libby demanded "yes beach now" Booth said "let's go get ready".

XOXOXO

An hour later and everyone was lying on the beach or playing in the sea, Kate, Lanie, Brennan and Ziva were lying sunning themselves on a blanket, Tony was sitting a few feet away with AJ who was playing with a bucket and spade, Booth was sitting with Rick in the sand watching Esposito and Ryan who were playing with Libby in the sea smiling at her shrieks of delight.

The girls were a few metres away with Skye, April already knew how to ride and Livie had allowed her to go for a ride up the beach along with Alexis and now they were teaching Tali who looked like she was loving it as she trotted up and down. When she was done Livie took the saddle off and Alexis legged her up, "anyone else" she asked with a grin holding out her hand "ah what the hell" April said and Livie pulled her up behind her wrapped her arms around her waist, then the two of them cantered towards the sea laughing madly as Alexis and Tali chased after them.

Skye plunged into the sea snorting madly as she went deeper and deeper in until it was up to her chest and April and Livie's legs were underwater, the mare twisted round, ears pricked before moving back towards the beach, "wheee" April squealed as she cantered out of the water before Livie turned her parallel to the sea and urged her into a steady canter, they moved through the shallows laughing waving at Libby who waved at the sight of them moving past on the horse.

Kate smiled as she watched them and pulled out the camera and got some nice pictures of them along with pictures of everybody else, she grinned as Alexis and Tali came and sat down next to then "those two are mad" Tali said with a grin "rather them than me" Alexis added. Skye cantered back into the water and then April slid of laughing as she waded back to the shore. "hey mom" Livie called "your turn" Kate raised her eyebrows "um I don't know Livs" she said eyeing the mare's bare back, Livie slid off "come on" she encouraged, Kate groaned and got up heading over and pulling herself onto Skye's back, she had only ridden bareback a couple of times, it was more Livie's thing but now she did feel comfortable, she saw Alexis with the camera grinning before she looked down and held put her hand to Livie "you coming too" she asked and then hauled Livie up as she nodded.

Once she felt Livie wrap her arms around her stomach she urged the horse forward towards the sea, they went for a short canter down the beach before they waded in until she felt the cold sea water and Kate shivered "Ooo cold" she said, Livie laughed "hey now remember who is driving" Kate said with a grin "I can easily dump you in the sea" she twisted playfully so that Livie slid "if I am going down you are going down with me" Livie giggled making Kate laugh, she looked up the beach and saw Rick lying there eyes closed "shall we get Rick back for throwing you in the pool" she asked, laughing Livie nodded and slowly they walked out of the water towards Rick where Kate stopped Skye. The mare turned her head to look at them before lowering her head to sniff Rick.

Rick opened his eyes and yelped backpedalling wildly as he found himself face to face with the horse, Kate and Livie nearly fell off laughing so hard along with everyone else. They slid off the horse and Livie took her back to the yard where she dried her off slightly and gave her some water, then she turned her out into the front garden with had been fenced off as a paddock for the mare with shade and allowed her to graze before she returned to sit with her mom until she, Lanie, Ziva and Brennan headed off to get some food.

April had joined Ryan and Esposito with Libby helping her build a sandcastle and Tali was carefully covering her dad in sand whilst AJ waved the spade around until it clonked his dad on the head. "ow" Tony groaned putting a hand to his head and then shaking sand out of his hair which he had just deposited in it from his hand which Tali had filled, he spat out a mouthful and looked at Tali who was shaking with laughter "ok good one ninja" he said "and bonus for involving your brother" AJ giggled, "I wasn't actually going to" Tali said as he stood up and shook all the sand off him "he joined in, he is definitely your son", Tony grinned "will take that as a compliment" he said bending and scooping his son up "come on little buddy time for lunch and a nap for you" he headed off towards the house.

Just then there was a shriek and a giggle, Livie and Tali looked up and laughed as they spotted April thrown over her dad's shoulder, Libby sat giggling in the sand watching as Booth carried April out to the sea "don't know what you are laughing about Miss Beckett" Ryan said as he and Esposito snuck up behind them and grabbed hold of her and began to drag her down the beach "no not again" she protested giggling, then she laughed as she saw Tali sprinting away from Rick who chased after her, "No guys" she said digging her heels into the sand, they grinned at her before Ryan grabbed her ankles and they carried her between them out to where Booth was standing holding April bridal style, all three men grinned "three two one"

They dropped the two of them into the sea "ooo cold" April said leaping up and throwing herself at her dad's back, he caught her piggy back style laughing, Livie grabbed Esposito and after a brief tussle wrestled him underwater, they looked up as they heard someone approaching "that kid is fast" Rick said "but got someone else instead" "dad" Alexis complained scowling, then she yelped as she got dumped.

Kate stepped out onto the patio and rolled her eyes at the sight of them all tussling in the water "anyone for food" she shouted, instantly they charged out of the water laughing, racing each other to the food, sliding on the tiled floor, they filled their plates and headed outside again to sit in the sun.

"there's a party in town tonight" Rick said "celebrating Independence Day, anybody fancy going" everyone looked at each other "sounds like fun" Tony said "what about AJ and Libby though" he asked "we can look after them" Lanie offered, when everyone made to protest she held up her hand "come on now you have all been through enough these last couple of weeks, you need to relax, have some fun, no go on, take the evening to party ok, besides I think we can have some fun hey" she looked at Libby who nodded her eyes shining, Esposito and Ryan both grinned "go on" Esposito said "have some fun all of you" "if you are sure" Booth said, the three of them nodded "sounds great then" he said with a smile "thanks guys" "no problem we are gonna have some fun right Libby" Esposito said "yeah fun with uncle Javi" Libby squealed "and uncle Ryan and Aunt Lanie" Kate smiled at her team "thanks guys" she said "no problem Kate" Ryan said "go loosen up, get drunk, we can pick you up too" everyone grinned "sounds pretty good" Rick said "I hope everyone brought something nice to wear" they all grinned.

"now" Rick said turning to Kate "who hasn't been dumped in the water yet" she narrowed her eyes at him "you wouldn't dare" she said, he grinned at her, looking over she saw Tony advancing on Ziva who looked at him threateningly but he carried on, "Rick" she warned getting to her feet "I mean it" she backed away until she felt arms wrap around her from behind "Javi" she growled "let go" he laughed "here you go Rick" he said allowing Rick to catch hold of her before he released her, grinning Tony grabbed Ziva, Brennan and sensibly disappeared inside.

"Tony put me down" Ziva gasped as he scooped her up and headed to the sea Rick and Kate right behind him, the girls followed laughing, he grinned at her "nah" he said "this is going to be interesting", "Rick" Kate whined "seriously ". "Yup" he said, "you ready beautiful" she scowled at him, then he kissed her before dropping her into the water.

She gasped as she hit the icy water and instantly she staggered upright spluttering, she heard a splash and then a yelp as Tony dropped Ziva only to have her take his legs out, "ooo I am going to get you" she growled and ran at him, he took off out of the water, but she caught up with him and knocked him to the sands in the shallows, laughing he pulled her down so she lay on top of him, she smiled and kissed him, lying on top of him before she yelped as the icy cold water rushed over them again, she leapt up shivering but laughing, Ziva was kissing Tony where they stood a few metres away, then she dunked him again making Tali howl with laughter.

Kate grinned as she headed up the beach grabbing a towel; this was perfect, their children safe, their friends safe, and the overwhelming feeling of family that she felt, from everyone in the house.


	18. Chapter 17

**Hi guys, thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming, I would love some more, hope you like this chapter.**

Chapter 17

Tony could hear the girls giggling in the master bedroom where they were getting ready with Kate, Ziva and Brennan, even Lanie was in there happily helping them, he looked at Rick who shrugged "ah girls" he said "I don't know what they are doing in there" Tony grinned at him "the female mind is a complex thing" he said "just because it is compared to yours" Ziva called out sweetly making everyone in the room giggle, the door opened and she came out wearing a simple white dress "ooo I like" Tony said grinning at her, Tali followed her out wearing a knee length navy blue dress "hey two gorgeous girls" Tony said, both of his girls rolled their eyes.

They all looked beautiful in their dresses all casual but pretty, Alexis wore a purple dress, April wore a light blue dress, Livie wore a pale pink dress, Brennan wore a red one and Kate wore a jade green one, they all looked amazing. Rick grinned "how are my lovely girls" he asked, Kate smiled sweetly "very well thank you" she looked him up and "not bad stud" she said making him grin cheekily.

They headed downstairs where they all said goodbye to Libby who hugged them all happily, "so" Tony asked after he handed AJ back to Lanie, he grinned, "everybody ready", everyone grinned back as they nodded. "don't hurry back" Lanie said with a grin "we will be fine here, won't we Libby" the four year old nodded "have fun" she chimed and they all smiled at her before heading out calling out goodbye. They had decided earlier that they would take cars even though it wasn't a very long drive, they would walk back if they wanted to head back at different times.

When they got there the party was already in full swing so they found some parking spaces and scrambled out, "have fun little ladies" Rick said as they all grouped together "remember to let us know if you head back early" they all nodded and then headed off towards the crowds disappearing from view.

Tony looked at Ziva "come on" he said grabbing her hand, she laughed as he dragged her towards the music, the others right behind them, she wrapped her arms around him as he placed his on her waist smiling at her, she smiled up at him before lifting one hand to his cheek gazing into his greenie gold eyes, out of the corner of her eye she saw Brennan and Kate dancing gently in their partners arms, their eyes shining happily, she looked back at Tony smiling at him before kissing him as he lowered his lips to hers, she felt him smile as they kissed and she smiled too, this was bliss.

Kate grinned up at Rick wrapping her arms around his neck as he pressed his forehead against hers, she blocked everything around them out but him, even her friends caught up in this moment of pure bliss with the man she loved, she smiled at him feeling his hands on her hips moving up to play with her hair, she closed her eyes running her fingers through his hair feeling the stress she had been feeling slowly fade away disappear completely, she completely forgot any pain she was in, all that mattered was here and now, she was with the one and only man that she loved, nothing else mattered.

XO

Livie laughed as she and the girls danced to the music, she felt alive, the loud music made her heart thud loudly, she felt life rush through her, life was definitely about living the moment she decided with a smile "anyone want a drink" she shouted over the music, they all nodded and she look their choices and headed over to the bar ordering the soft drinks that they asked for, she took a sip of hers eagerly when it was delivered gasping for a drink.

She heard someone approach and a gentle male voice ordered a couple of drinks, she glanced over and saw a boy of around her own age standing next to her, he glanced over and their eyes met, he smiled gently at her to which she also smiled shyly before he looked away, Livie studied him, blond hair quite shaggy and blue eyes, gentle blue eyes, high cheekbones and prominent facial features. She looked back to pay for the drinks, that was when he spoke "you're not from round here are you" she looked at him before shaking her head "no I live in New York" he smiled "same" he said "vacation here" he asked, she nodded "my dad owns a house here" she said "come here to relax" he nodded again before holding out his hand "I'm Alex, Alex Somers"

Livie smiled and shyly shook his hand "Olivia Beckett but I like to be called Livie" he smiled "nice to meet you Livie" he said before leaning against the counter "how long you here for" he asked, she shrugged "as long as we want to stay" she said, "lucky you" he said "I am only here for a few more days then I am back off to New York" she smiled at him "bet you miss it really" he laughed "hell yeah I can hear my organs working here, it is so quiet without the constant noise of traffic don't you think" she nodded "I definitely agree" she said.

They talked for a while, getting to know each other slightly, April was the first to notice when she realised Livie hadn't come back with the drinks, she looked over and saw her leaning against the bar, a huge smile on her face as she talked to a boy "hey" she said "look at Livie, she's found herself a boy" Tali and Alexis instantly looked over "he's cute" they both said at the same time, April smiled "mm" she said, they all slipped behind a post peering out watching their friend intently "good for her" Tali said "miss I–am–no–good-in-the-dating-department" the other two laughed as they watched Livie talk to the boy.

Kate smiled at Rick as the six of them sat at the table listening to the music watching the dancers, this was perfect, she then spotted Tali, April and Alexis moving towards them looking rather excited "hey" she greeted "having a good time" they nodded their eyes shining "where's Livie" Rick asked "well" Tali said with a grin "she was getting a drink but I think she might have forgotten about that now" "why" Kate asked, Alexis grinned "she's by the bar" she said pointing.

Kate looked over and spotted her daughter and she felt a smile slide onto her face as she spotted her sitting at the bar talking to a boy of around the same age as her, there was a smile on her face as she talked and the boy was listening, "ooo" Tony said "summer loving" Alexis sighed "aw, that's so cute" Kate grinned at her before looking over at Rick who was watching Livie closely protectively she realised, "dad" Alexis said spotting him too "quit staring and let her be, she can look after herself when it comes to boys, especially after everything she has been through recently I think she can handle a boy" Rick looked at Kate who smiled at him before nodding "she will be fine Rick" she said, "aw but she is only 14, Alexis didn't start dating till she was 15" Kate rolled her eyes before leaning over to kiss him "am I being over protective" he asked "slightly" she responded "though I think it is very cute" she gazed at him "let her handle this by herself" she said and he sighed "ok" he said. Though she continued to spot him watching Livie protectively.

She watched her daughter get led onto the dance floor, she was hesitant but seemed happy to follow him into the crowds where she was lost from sight, she looked back to find Tony humming 'Summer Lovin' from _Grease_, making Tali giggle as she joined in.

XO

"so" Alex asked "do you know that group behind me" she peered over his shoulder through the crowds and rolled her eyes "yes that is my family and my friends and their family" he smiled "seem protective of you" she rolled her eyes again "I guess they have a right to be" she said "I am the youngest in my family" he smiled "know how you feel there" he said "I am the youngest of 3 one older brother who is a lawyer and one older sister who is in Stanford University" Livie smiled "just an older sister, Alexis, she is looking for Colleges" he smiled at her and she smiled at him, she stared into his eyes losing herself in those deep blue pools.

They danced for a while before returning to the bar where they found Alexis, Tali and April all sitting waiting with some drinks "hi" all three of them chorused, Livie grinned at them "hey guys how you finding it" "good" April said, her eyes like Tali and Alexis' were focused on the boy next to her, she sighed and introduced them "guys this is Alex, Alex this is my sister Lexie and my friends April and Tali", their smiles widened "hi Alex" they all said together, he greeted them warmly as Livie hopped up onto a bar stool next to Alexis who grinned at her, she grinned back "so is everyone watching me" she asked, Alexis nodded "yep dad asked us to come check that you were ok, you mom was whacking him over the head when we left telling him to let you be"

Livie laughed and then looked over to where the adults sat and gave them the 'ok' sign, Rick gave her the thumbs up and she saw her mom roll her eyes at him before smiling at her, Livie grinned back before turning to face Alex again.

They talked well into the night, just her and Alex, the others sat at a nearby booth talking between themselves and no doubt watching them, and Livie was very aware of how close she was sitting to this boy who she had met only mere hours ago, yet she felt perfectly comfortable with him, she had never felt this way about any other guy.

It was getting close to midnight when they realised the time, looking over they saw that their parents were dancing again, Alex looked at his watch "as amazing as this has been I promised my parents that I would be home by midnight" Livie smiled "I should probably join my friends again" she said "I can feel them watching us" he smiled and then leaned in taking hold of her hand "shall we give them something to stare at" he murmured in her ear before kissing her hand gently. Livie felt herself go red as a huge smile slipped onto her face and she positively beamed at him as he smiled at her.

"you got a phone" he asked and she nodded pulling it out, he held out his own phone snapping her picture before handing it to her "put your number in" he said, she did so handing hers to him "can I text you some time" he asked, she grinned nodding "you can call me if you want" she said, he grinned "that sounds awesome" he said as he slid off the bar stool "I shall do so" he said "it was amazing meeting you Livie, don't lose that smile, it is beautiful" he kissed her on the cheek before he gave her one final smile and headed off into the crowds.

Livie let out a breath and stared after him leaning against the bar before she looked over to see Alexis, Tali and April glaring at her then they all mouthed "here NOW", smiling she slid off her stool and headed over "details now" Alexis squealed pulling into the booth at which they were sitting, she laughed "hey April remember when you said you don't kiss and tell, well this is me not kissing and telling" April looked at her "we saw the kiss" she said "so you can tell, what was it like" she smiled "nice" she said "he was nice, no he was amazing", cheekily April and Tali began to sing '_can you feel the love tonight'_, she gave them a shove playfully "so are you going to see him again" Alexis asked, she grinned and held up her phone "he said he would call me" Alexis grabbed the phone and read his details "ooo Alex Somers, Manhattan New York… aw he just sent her a text"

"read it" Tali and April squealed as Livie dived for her phone "Lexie" she whined "give it back" laughing her sister held it out of reach so April grabbed it "hi Livie" she read "just checking you gave me the right number, I loved meeting you tonight, can't wait to see you again, keep smiling bright eyes, Alex" they all looked at Livie who went red "aw" they all said "shut up" she muttered "can I have my phone back" April was grinning as she handed her the phone "good for you girl" she said, Livie grinned at them before looking at her watch "what shall we do now" she asked "well I'm beat" April said "same" Alexis and Livie said "yeah I'm pretty tired too" Tali said "home" they said, laughing they headed off away from the music, and began the 10 minute walk home, laughing and giggling the whole way.

They stumbled down the driveway shushing each other and carefully crept round the back, Ryan and Esposito was lying in a hammock dozing but both opened their eyes when he heard them approaching "how was it" he asked "ask Livie" Tali said, Esposito looked at Livie "what you do girl" he asked, she grinned at him "met a boy" she said, Ryan sat up suddenly and nearly fell out of his hammock "what" he yelped "shh" they all hissed, he stared at her "you met a boy" he said, Livie grinned "I will tell you in the morning" she said "I am knackered" "oi details girl" they both said scrambling up after her "in the morning" she said, they scowled at her "have fun telling Lanie" Ryan said then and they all winced before Esposito pulled Livie into a hug "night girl" he said "details in the morning" "yes I promise" she said

They headed off to get changed and then into the living room where they found Libby sprawled across the makeshift bed "hey she sure takes up a lot of room" Tali said as April carefully shifted her sister to make more room for them all to sleep on "I'll sleep on the edge" Livie said "I might get up early and go see to Skye again" they nodded and tumbled into bed, it wasn't long before they were all out of it, completely exhausted.

XOXOXO

The next morning Livie woke up at her usual time and crawled out of the bed, the others were still out of it, she sleepily dressed before heading into the kitchen where she grabbed two apples and stuffed them into her pockets before she slipped out and saw to Skye, the mare nudged her cheekily once she had finished eating and Livie was mucking out the small stable, she smiled and hugged the horse "I met a guy last night" she whispered, stroking her long nose "he was pretty awesome" Skye nickered and nibbled her hair before lowering her head to her pocket sniffing at it interested.

Livie smiled "not yet" she said "later" then she fetched her bridle putting it on before locating her hat and pulling it on, then she led Skye outside and scrambled onto her back, instead of heading to the beach though she headed off towards the cliffs walking at a slow leisurely pace up to the top where she slid off and pulled out the apples, she gave one to Skye whilst she munched the other until Skye finished her own and looked at her, Livie rolled her eyes before giving her what remained of her own apple which the horse crunched on happily, she smiled and sat down stroking Skye's nose as the mare lowered her head to see her, she sat there for a while watching the sun rise over the horizon before she stood up and led the mare over to a small stone wall and used it to pull herself on.

She was just about to head down a trail to the beach when she heard a voice call out "well fancy seeing you again so soon" she looked round and smiled "Alex" she said "hi", "hey" he said jogging over , he reached out to stroke Skye's neck "she yours" he asked "she is very pretty" Livie smiled "yeah she is mine, her name is Skye" he nodded looking up at her "so how are you can't believe you are up this early" she grinned "not bad I like to watch the sun rise, what about you, you are up early too" he smiled "yeah couldn't sleep, was thinking about this amazing girl I met last night" she reddened again and he smiled at her "so where are you staying" she asked changing the subject, he pointed "outskirts of town, near the beach, what about you" she pointed "my house is one of those ones on the beech" "whoa does that make you rich" she ducked her head "my dad is actually my stepdad, but I call him my dad and he is the author Rick Castle" "wow" he said "lucky you" she smiled.

"so are you going down the trail" he asked, she nodded "I am not really dressed for the beach, will you be coming up here again this time tomorrow" "probably" she said, he smiled and brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes "want to meet up again tomorrow, it is my last day then" she grinned "that sounds awesome" "great" he said "see you tomorrow morning, if not before Livie" she smiled "bye" she said watching him jog off down the track, she waited a bit before urging Skye down the trail onto the beach, instantly the horse snatched at the reins excitedly tucking her head into her chest, Livie could feel her trembling beneath her.

She readied herself before loosening the reins and squeezing with her heels, instantly Skye leapt forward into a gallop ploughing along the beach unstoppable for now. Up on the cliffs she saw Alex pause and watch her, laughing she released the reins with one hand and waved seeing him wave back as she blasted past him below, she flung her head back letting out a howl of delight, feeling the wind tugging at her hair blowing against her face and the horse moving beneath her carrying her across the sand, they were connected, no saddle between them, they were one, she wrapped her hands into Sky's mane clinging on as the horse sped up.

She saw the house approaching and everyone already up standing outside watching her come charging towards them, she saw April cup her hands over her mouth and she heard her shout out "what you planning to do when you reach the end of the beach" she laughed and shouted "haven't thought that far ahead yet" as she galloped past, she heard them laugh, she looked forward and then began to gently tug at the reins easing them back getting firmer and firmer until Skye slowed to a canter, then she turned her in a large circle and cantered slowly back up the beach towards the house slowing to a trot and then a walk, the two of them were puffing as they headed up to the house, but they had never felt so alive.

XOXOXO

Everyone was up talking about last night when they heard the howl of delight from outside, they all moved out to see the horse and rider galloping towards them, Kate saw Livie laughing as she clung to the horse that carried her across the beach, as they neared April shouted "what you planning to do when you reach the end of the beach" Livie laughed and they heard her call back "haven't thought that far ahead yet" they all laughed "she might want to think about it soon" Rick said a smile on his face as she cannoned past, she did manage to slow and came back at a walk.

Kate moved out and caught hold of sky's bridle holding her still whilst Livie slid off "ew sweaty horse" she said as Livie took the huffing horse, she giggled "I'll sort her out" she said "that was awesome" Kate smiled and they all headed back inside to continue making breakfast.

Then Livie came in and everyone looked at her "what" she said warily, Lanie looked at her with her eyes sparkling "spill the beans girl" Livie laughed "you all want to hear" she asked, they all nodded listening intently, "Ok" she said "so we met at the bar…"

**Hope you liked it, I thought it was sweet to write.**

**Please tell me what you think, I love any kind of feedback **

**Thanks**

**Mysticgirl**


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey thanks for all the reviews they are all really appreciated, please keep them coming. Enjoy this one.**

Chapter 18

"we met at the bar and he just started talking to me and it felt kinda nice, I mean he was so sweet and honest, he made me feel better, I forgot everything when I was with him" everyone smiled at the enthusiasm in her voice, Kate felt Rick wrap his arms around her and she leaned against him listening to her daughter, seeing the light in her eyes burning bright.

"what's his name girl" Lanie asked eagerly "Alex" she said with a grin "Alex Somers" "oooooo" everyone said and she narrowed her eyes at them all "he was pretty cute" April said with a grin "good for you girl" Lanie said pulling Livie into a hug making her smile, "let's eat" Livie said "I am starving" laughing they all headed over to the food and piled their plates high, as they all headed out Lanie fell into step with Kate and Rick "and how do you two feel about this" she asked, Kate grinned "I am happy for her, I trust her to be sensible, she is an intelligent girl, and I want her to be happy and this boy really seems to be making her happy" Lanie smiled "and what about you writer man" she asked looking at Rick.

"I'm cool with it" he said, Kate laughed "he was watching her the whole night" she said "being over protective" Lanie laughed "what" Rick said "I want to watch out for her, especially now she calls me her daddy" Kate smiled again and they headed outside, they were all sitting in the sand away from the pool this morning, the girls obviously not wanting to be dunked again in the cold pool by their fathers, Kate watched Rick chatting to Livie who talked to him with a smile on her face, he laughed and pulled her in against his chest tussling her hair making her laugh, it felt so perfect, this family.

Livie came and lay on the blanket with them, Lanie continued to grill her for information about Alex, "Lanie" she complained "I feel like I am in interrogation" "tough" Lanie said, Kate tried to change the subject "so where did you ride this morning" she asked, to her surprise Livie ducked her head uncertainly before grinning at her "I went along the cliffs, it was amazing, I watched the sun rise at the top before I rode down onto the beach and galloped back" Kate smiled "you going to do it again tomorrow" she asked, Livie ducked her head again "yeah" she said "I think I will and take my camera get some nice pictures, hey um I want to go check on Skye she was really hot earlier" she leapt up and ran towards the little stable.

They all watched her go before Kate looked at Lanie and shrugged "she seams shifty" she said, Lanie nodded and April laughed, they both looked over at her "that's because she is hiding something" April said, they both eyed her "what" Lanie asked, April looked at her "well if I knew it she wouldn't be hiding it would she" she said "but I would guess it has something to do with a certain blue eyed boy and the cliffs" "ahhh" Kate and Lanie both said together.

Kate looked at her watch "Lanie" she said "I want to run into town and pick up some things for lunch and run a few errands, do you mind accompanying me" Lanie looked at her oddly before nodding "sure girl" she said and she leapt up, Kate stood and slowly pulled a shirt on over her bikini and slipped her feet into her flip-flops and headed into the house grabbing the keys to the car and moving out to the driveway, she could see Livie tacking up Skye with Tali obviously to give her another lesson before she allowed the mare to rest. "Livs" she called and her daughter looked up at her "I am just going into town with Lanie ok" Livie nodded "Ok have fun" she called before hoisting herself onto Skye and hauling Tali up behind her and urging the mare back down to the beach with Tali giggling.

Lanie came out of the house and clambered into the passenger seat and Kate slid into the driver's seat and headed off into town. Lanie waited until they were picking up food in the supermarket before she spoke "ok Kate what do you want to talk about" Kate looked at her "what do you mean" she asked innocently, Lanie looked at her "girl I am your best friend, I know when something is up", Kate smiled at her "ok" she said "I want to do something and it feels so right to do it, I just want to know if you think it is a good idea" Lanie smiled at her "ok girl let's hear it", her eyes widened as Kate told her, then she laughed and hugged her tightly "Kate that is awesome, oh I totally agree, I think it is perfect" Kate smiled and hugged her friend back "glad you think so" she said "I mean I can't see anything bad that could come out of it" "I only see happiness" Lanie said with a smile, Kate smiled and moved deeper into the shop, "now where is the electronics" she murmured and with a smile Lanie followed.

XOXO

Tali laughed as she clung to Livie and they cantered down the beach "you ok" Livie shouted "yeah" she shouted back "faster" Livie laughed and urged Skye into a gentle controlled gallop back towards their parents who were all watching them with a smile, April and Libby were building a giant sandcastle nearby, they slowed to a canter before they headed into the sea laughing then squealing as the cold water hit them, Tony grinned at Ziva "well another expensive hobby" Rick laughed "expensive is correct but worth every penny to see the light in their eyes and to hear their laugh of glee" Ziva smiled and they both looked out at the two girls laughing as the horse leapt over the waves

"April used to love it" Booth said "But after the incident she never started back up again, maybe she should of, she loved it and like you said Rick I loved seeing her delight" April looked over at him and smiled "yeah I did enjoy it" she said "time was a bit of an issue though as well" he rolled his eyes "something we have even less of now we have this little munchkin" he said looking at Libby who smiled sweetly at him making everyone smile.

"lunch" Kate called reappearing round the side of the house with Lanie carrying pizza boxes all stacked one on top of each other "we got a verity" she said dumping them on the counter as everyone scrambled inside "we didn't know what everyone liked so we ordered a large of everything" "ooo yum" Tony said snagging a slice of a meaty one "ah lovely cheers Kate… oi Ziva" he complained as Ziva snagged it from him a sparkle in her eye, she grinned at him just as through the monitor they heard a wail "your son is crying" she said, he pouted "so he is my son when he wants something but yours when he is being an angel" she smiled sweetly "yes" he groaned and headed off up the stairs.

Ziva smiled and placed the slice of pizza on a plate for him before fetching her own as everyone scrambled for the food, "Livie" Kate called and reached into the bag and handed her daughter a box "got you a new phone" she said softly, Livie looked at her and smiled weakly, she could have had her old phone back but Kate didn't want her to have it back, that phone had been used to capture their pain and cause Rick pain, it had been used to lure her into the danger and to deliver threats, so when it had been returned she had instantly smashed it and thrown it away before Livie could see it, she had been using Alexis' old phone until she had gotten a new one. Livie hugged her "thanks mom" she mumbled and pulled out her temporary phone and switched the SIM cards, Kate watched her with a smile on her face, moving on again, it was getting a bit repetitive.

She waited until everyone had finished eating before she moved over to Alexis "hey can I talk to you for a minute" she asked quietly, Alexis looked at her confused before nodding and gathered up the empty pizza boxes with her and helped her carry them out to the recycle bins, Kate dropped her load in and waited for Alexis to do the same before looking at the 17 year old girl "are you ok Kate" she asked uncertainly, she nodded "I am fine Lex, I promise I just want to ask your thoughts and permission to do something"

Alexis looked at her "what" she asked, Kate bit her lip before slowly explaining her idea, the more she explained the bigger the smile got on Alexis' face until she finished and stood there waiting for Alexis to speak, instead the teenager flung her arms around Kate "oh my gosh Kate that is awesome, I am so happy that you want to do that, really I am over the moon" Kate smiled at her and hugged her again "I am glad you agree Alexis really I am" Alexis pulled away to smile at her "why wouldn't I be Kate, this makes us even more of a family and that is what I want, that is what we all want" Kate smiled.

"what you talking about" they both jumped and turned to find Rick and Livie standing behind them "nothing" they both said "just taking out the recycling" Kate said, Rick eyed them before he smiled and opened his arm, Kate smiled and moved into his embrace "come on back to the beach" he said, Alexis grinned and slung her arm around Livie who giggled and mimicked the movement before the two of them raced to the sea laughing as they plunged into the water fully dressed. Kate moved over to the blanket "hey little guy" she said as she knelt down, AJ giggled at her and crawled over to investigate her, Rick fell down on the other side of her slinging an arm over her waist holding her tight, all the couples were like that sunning themselves side by side in each other's arms whilst their children entertained themselves.

Ziva lay on her side next to Tony watching AJ, he crawled back to her giggling and she smiled as she reached out to him, he slowly pulled himself holding onto her before he tumbled against her laughing to himself, Ziva caught him steadying him smiling at his glee, she felt Tony stir "what is my mini man up to" he mumbled "trying to stand" Ziva murmured "he is getting better" "mm" Tony said looking at him "remind me to baby proof the apartment when we return", Ziva laughed.

April came stumbling over to her parents grinning and fell down next to her mom who smiled and ran a hand through her daughters hair "can we get a place out here" April asked. Brennan laughed "is this some conspiracy" she asked "your father just asked me the same thing" April giggled and grinned at her dad who smiled back giving her the thumbs up.

They all lay there together and one by one their children joined them, lying on the blanket one, big united team, one alliance, they lay there until Tali said dozily "um as much as I don't want to move, those clouds look very threatening do you think we should move"?, they all looked up at the iron grey clouds above them, then they felt the first drops of water, "sounds good" Booth said and they all leapt up grabbing their things and running into the house laughing as the rain fell thicker and faster, Kate and Livie were the last ones in having sorted Skye out and they were soaked but laughing loudly, Kate grinned and moved over to hug Rick who wrapped her in his arms catching hold of a handful of her wet hair holding her tightly as he kissed her, pressing his lips lovingly to hers.

Livie grinned at Tali and April as she wrung out her wet hair, they grinned back at her happily "shall we move into the living room" she suggested and they all did so sitting on the sofas and the large makeshift bed, giggling as they talked. Ziva was sitting on the edge of the bed with AJ smiling at them all then she looked down at her son and a smile slipped onto her face "Tony" she murmured "look at AJ" everyone looked over to see the 11 month old baby standing holding onto Ziva's arm wobbling away as he stood there, then slowly he released her and stood there swaying slightly, slowly Tony slid off the sofa and crouched a few feet in front of the baby boy who looked at his dad and held out his hand "da" he squealed making everyone smile.

Nobody moved as they held their breaths, Tali pulled her phone out and shifted closer setting it to record. AJ looked around at everyone watching and then at his daddy in front of him then slowly he stepped away from his mommy, one shaky step at a time. The smile on Tony's face was huge as his son took his first shaky steps towards him before tumbling into his arms.

Tony whooped as he lifted his son above his head "way to go little buddy" he said making Aiden giggle and kick his legs excitedly, "yay AJ can walk" Tali squealed leaping up and running over to her baby brother and her dad "clever boy". Ziva smiled as she stood up and took her son from Tony who was grinning proudly, she looked at the little boy who looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes, exact copies of her own "YisharKoachha'bensheli" she murmured "well done my son" he giggled and clung to her his little fingers digging into her skin "about time too" Tony said "was beginning to think he would never walk" AJ smiled cheekily at his dad making them all laugh.

The rain lashed at the windows, pounded on the roof but it didn't bother them, they were all inside safe, warm and comfortable without a care in the world for what was going on outside, they talked and laughed, told funny stories to each other and soon they were laughing well into the evening.

Eventually they all went to bed; Libby had already passed out, sprawled across the bed so they all snuck out whispering their goodnights. The girls changed quietly whispering to one another before sliding into the bed and shifting around tugging blankets over them, claiming pillows and finding their spaces, Libby rolled over and curled up pressed against April who wrapped her in her arms hugging her tightly before closing her eyes, Livie curled up next to Alexis who hugged her for a while before drifting off to sleep, Livie grinned at her friends and sister, today had been awesome, but now she had to get sleep since she would be getting up early the next morning…

XOXOXO

Tali could hear the birds chirping and someone moving around in the room, slowly she allowed her eyes to flutter open and saw that it was Livie dressing, she was pulling on a pair of three quarter length leggings and a loose white top on, she picked up a small bag and placed some apples in it and her new phone, then she picked up a brush and ran it through her hair looking in the mirror with a concentrated look on her face.

She glanced over her shoulder and instantly Tali feigned sleep, she peeped out again to see Livie picking up a pair of sneakers and placing them in her bag before she slipped outside, Tali sat up and poked Alexis and April, they both grumbled at her "Livie just snuck out" she whispered "alert the media" April slurred rolling over and closing her eyes again "she put on pretty clothes to go out riding in" Tali said "so" Alexis mumbled "and she brushed her hair and left it down, I think she was sneaking out to see someone, someone who has blonde hair and blue eyes and Livie is smitten with".

That got them, they both sat up "oo, she is off to see Alex you think" April said a gleam in her eye, Tali nodded, instantly they slipped out the bed and yanked on some clothes before slipping out in time to see Livie leading Skye out and pull herself onto the mare's bare back, then she headed off towards the cliffs again at a trot. "well we will never keep up with her" April said looking crestfallen, "yeah we will" Alexis said, she ran towards the outhouse and curiously they followed her entering in time to see her uncover some bikes, "awesome" April hissed and they grabbed them, there were only two but one had little bars on the back wheel and Tali stood on it holding onto April's shoulders and they took off giggling up towards the cliffs after the horse and rider.

"urgh she has it easy" April groaned as they peddled up the hill, laughing Tali leapt off and ran to the top where she waited for them to arrive huffing, she laughed and carried on running as they peddled along, keeping up with them easily with her heightened stamina. "whoa stop there she is" Tali suddenly hissed as they arrived at the top of another hill and spotted Livie sitting on Skye watching the sunrise, they dropped hurriedly behind some bushes and lay there watching her.

"maybe she just came up here to watch the sunrise as usual" April hissed as they watched Skye lower her head to graze on the grass "no Tali is right" Alexis whispered "she dressed up", they watched as she slid off and then offered Skye an apple which the mare took gently before eating one herself "so that's where the apples keep disappearing to" Alexis said making them giggle and then shush each other as Livie suddenly turned round and smiled as a figure appeared at the top of the hill "oo it's him" Tali giggled and they both shushed her giggling excitedly as they watched "hang on need proof" Alexis whispered and pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the two silhouetted in the sunrise as they greeted each other unaware of the three pairs of eyes watching them struggling to remain quiet.

XO

Livie smiled as she saw Alex appear and make his way towards her "hey" he said smiling "hi" she said slightly breathlessly, smiling he reached down and took her hand kissing it gently "I couldn't stop thinking of you yesterday" he said softly gazing at her with his clear blue eyes, she blushed "same" she said smiling at him, slowly he sat down in the grass and Livie joined him keeping an eye on her horse who grazed a few feet away "so you are headed home today" she said, he nodded sadly "all packed and ready to go, luckily my parents went out last night with friends and came back late so they are still sleeping and knowing them they will sleep in late, so I have a while, what about you"? Livie smiled "they won't mind and they will think I have just gone out for a ride as I have every morning" he grinned "awesome" he said.

And so they talked about everything, their schools, they pasts, everything, though of course Livie left out her incidents, the sun had risen when he leaned over and ran his hand through her hair gently "you are beautiful" he whispered and there was such honesty in his eyes, she hesitated before leaning into the touch as he moved his hand to her neck, then she suddenly pulled away as his fingers brushed over her burns, he frowned "hey are you ok" he asked "what was that", she turned away breathing hard "no" she said "you don't need to see them" "see what and why" he asked confused "because when you see them you will realise that I am not as beautiful as you think I am" she whispered, she sensed him shift closer "hey Livie what's wrong" he asked, she didn't move, she just continued to breath hard, then she felt him slowly brush her hair aside and his breath caught in his throat.

"Jesus Livie who did that to you" he asked, she took a shaky breath "don't worry about it" she said "Livie hey what happened" he asked and moved round in front of her, she looked at him "you know my mom is a cop" she said, he nodded, his eyes concerned "well she was solving this case and the people who committed it, they panicked and kidnapped me to use as leverage" his eyes widened but she continued "my mom asked for proof that I was alive" she whispered "so they sent her a video of them pressing a white hot pipe into my back, burning me, they sent her a video of my pain" he stared at her in shock "when" he asked, she swallowed and looked away "almost a year ago" she whispered "but it still hurts and holds me in"

She didn't look at him until he gently caught hold of her chin and turned her head to face him "hey Livie" he said softly, slowly she looked at him, he smiled at her "those marks don't make you any less beautiful to me, in fact I think they make you even more amazing, they show how strong and brave you are and how much you have been through, you don't have to tell me what happened to you but if you ever want someone to talk to about it, then I will be there for you, I promise". She looked at him before she leaned forward and gently kissed him on the cheek "thank you" she whispered "you are the most amazing guy I have ever met" he grinned.

At that moment Skye wondered over and nibbled at Livie's hair playfully before lowering her head to her bag searching for more tit bits, Alex laughed and stroked her neck "I have a horse" he said with a smile, she looked at him in surprise "You do" she said, he nodded "I don't tell many people though because most people find it to be a girly hobby, but I love horses, they are the most amazing creatures ever" she grinned "I agree, what is your horse like" she asked, he looked at her smiling "well he is a bright bay horse and he is called Red" she smiled "what's he like" she asked "hyper" he said and she giggled giving Skye another apple much to the mare's delight, then she stood up "do you want to ride Skye" she asked, he looked at her "only if you come with me" he said, "deal" she laughed and, he boosted her up before climbing up behind her, she turned Skye and headed slowly down the track at a leisurely pace, feeling his arms gently round her waist and loving the fact she was sitting in his arms.

At the bottom they headed onto the beach and Skye snatched at the reins again "faster" she asked "as long as you have more control than yesterday" he said making her laugh, she kept hold of the reins squeezing on them gently as she nudged her heels into Skye's sides. The mare leapt forward but remained at a steady canter down the beach, Livie laughed and she heard Alex laugh in delight as they rode the mare down the beach, she steered the horse into the sea and squealed as the cold water sprayed up at them before laughing as Skye galloped through the shallows picking up her speed, she felt so undeniably happy.

XO

Rick woke as there was a cry from beside him and he sat up to see Kate gasping and jerking in her sleep "no" she whispered "no don't, please help her, no Livie" "hey" he whispered "hey Kate wake up" he shook her gently, but she didn't and she gasped struggling "no" she sobbed "please Livie stay awake" she let out another cry "please you have to help her, I'll do anything, please help her" "Kate" Rick said shaking her again "hey Kate wake up honey"

To his relief she jerked awake gasping and trembling "hey" he whispered "Kate you're safe, it's ok, it is all over, he won't hurt you ever again" she stared at him gasping before her eyes filled with tears "it was so real" she whispered and fell forward, he caught her and pulled her against his chest, resting her head over his heart as she cried, he cradled her whispering to her that it was all over and that she was safe. It took her a while to calm down, then she looked up at him, her gentle brown eyes wide "thank you" she whispered "always" he whispered back stroking her hair gently, she hugged him for a while before sighing "I need some air" she whispered and he nodded "do you want company" he asked and she nodded so he followed her down the stairs, peering into the living room they saw that the only one there was Libby curled up in a ball under some blankets.

Rick followed Kate out onto the beach, he watched her as she leant against the table, breathing in the sea air taking in deep breaths, slowly he crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her "you ok" he asked, she nodded slowly "just shaken" she whispered "but I will be fine", he kissed her neck gently, she looked out across the beach and spotted a dappled grey horse making her way down the trail towards the beach, and she sighed watching as the horse stepped onto the sands and began to canter.

They suddenly heard laughing and looked over to see two bicycles and three girls shooting into the drive, "I forgot about those bikes" Rick said as the girls dropped the bikes and raced towards them "hey girls where did you go" he asked "we followed Livie" April said her eyes shining "and spied on her date", they both frowned "what date" Rick asked, they pointed "the sandy haired blue eyes boy she is riding across the beach with now" Alexis said with a grin, Kate squinted and saw that there were indeed two riders, riding the horse across the beach "she met up with Alex" she said with a smile "yeah she snuck out to do so" Tali said "quick inside" April said as the horse approached, and they all raced in, peering out to see the horse slow and Alex hoped off followed by Livie and the two of them moved round to the drive

"that was awesome" they heard Alex say as they peered through the window "yeah" Livie said her eyes shining, he sighed "I had better head home though, we are leaving and my parents will flip if I am late back" they both looked pretty crestfallen. "What's going on" Tony asked appearing behind them, they all shushed him and he peered out spotting the two teenagers "ah" he said and fell silent. "well I will text you" Alex said "maybe one day we should arrange to go riding together" "yeah that would be amazing" Livie said and her smile widened as he kissed her cheek again, "well talk soon" he said, she nodded "yes I need to go have a word with my sister and friends and ask why the bikes are out" she sounded like she already knew though.

Everyone looked at Tali, Alexis and April who all gulped as Livie said her goodbyes and then headed towards the house, she entered to find everyone trying to act innocent, Tony was filling the kettle whistling innocently and Rick was hunting through the cupboards for mugs, her mom was smiling at her "morning" she said moving to hug her daughter "good ride" Livie hugged her mom before looking past her at the other girls "oh I don't know why don't you ask them" "hey what did we do" Tali asked "followed me" she said "no we didn't" they said together.

"why are the bikes out then" she asked "we went into town" Alexis said "at 7am" she said obviously not believing them, they nodded and she narrowed her eyes in a way very similar to her mother, Alexis and April both pointed at Tali "her idea" they said "traitors" she muttered making her father laugh "who are traitors" Lanie asked coming into the kitchen followed by Esposito "April and Alexis for ratting me out" Tali said "what you go" Esposito asked "followed me" Livie said.

Lanie looked at her "why is that a problem" "because she went to see her boyfriend" Alexis said, Lanie squealed "really" "he is not my boyfriend" Livie said scowling at her sister who grinned "I don't know what he is" she added "really because the kiss on the cheek said something different" Tony said and ducked as Livie threw a dishcloth at him, "aww" Lanie said pulling Livie into a hug "our little girl is all grown up" Kate smiled gently as Livie pulled a face but hugged Lanie back before moving to stand next to her mom who wrapped an arm around her shoulders hugging her.

As everyone else came in and heard about Livie's morning much to her embarrassment Kate watched her daughter and realised that Lanie was right, Livie wasn't her little girl any more, she was all grown up and falling in love and falling in deep for the first time.

**Hope you liked it**

**Please review**

**Thanks mystic girl**


	20. Chapter 19

**Hi guys, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, hope you like this one**

Chapter 19

Livie hugged April and Tali tightly "I'm going to miss you guys" she said, she felt them squeeze her back "we'll miss you too but don't worry we will talk soon, major Skype session soon yeah" April said, Livie nodded before she pulled away to allow them to hug Alexis and she bent down to hug Libby, as she did so she looked around, everyone was saying their goodbyes hugging and arranging to stay in contact, they had been here for over a week and they had all decided that it was time to head home now, they all had school starting in a couple of weeks and they had to prepare and their parents had to get back to work, Ryan, Esposito and Lanie had already headed back a few days ago having to go back to work again.

"aw don't cry Libby" she said "we will talk soon I promise" the four year old looked at her sadly "promise" she said, Livie smiled and held up her little finger "pinkie promise" she said, they all moved outside where everyone was loading their bags into their cars and her mom was getting Skye ready, she moved over to help and a smile slipped onto her face as the horse blew hot air in her face, April and Tali moved over to help "I am sure there will be some fancy writer dinners soon" April said "Tali can tag along or something" "sounds fun" Tali said "next holidays though we have to meet up" "definitely" the other two said as they finished readying the horse and led her into the trailer behind their car, once they had finished bolting it up they turned and said their goodbyes again hugging their newly made friends.

Kate watched Livie saying goodbye to her friends and she smiled as she moved forward to hug everyone, those three girls were special that was for certain, they had managed to bring three teams that would otherwise work separately together, and become united and she was certain that unity would last for a long time, as would the unity of their children, friends forever, in their adolescent alliance.

Once they were done Rick locked up the house and everyone clambered into their respective cars and after a great deal of waving they all pulled out of the drive and headed as a convoy through the town and, after a while Rick turned the car in a different direction to Tony and Booth and they headed back to New York, Kate looked in the rear view mirror, Alexis and Livie were both staring out of the windows quiet after their friends went home, "hey" she said turning in her seat to look at them "cheer up girls, home again to see everyone, all your friends, the team again" she grinned at them "Grams" Alexis added, they all smiled, Kate looked at Rick "did you tell her what happened" he nodded "how did she take it" he looked at her "well it is hard to say with mother, you know what she was like, she was frightened and all but I couldn't tell if she was over reacting or not, you know being a drama queen as usual or she was actually hyperventilating" Kate laughed.

XO

When they approached the city Kate looked at it uncertainly, wondering if all the pain and desperation she had felt before this trip would return, she wondered if she would feel crippled again after everything she had been through, they drove around it, to Livie's yard where they unloaded Skye and settled her back down again in her stable and returned her stuff and the trailer to its rightful position before they headed back to the car and drove back into the city.

As the buildings got taller and closer together, she looked out and saw that everything was the same, it was as if no time had passed, that time whilst they had been locked away, hurting and scared, it was as though time had stopped whilst they were there, and now that they were back it was starting again, but she knew that that wasn't the case, whilst they had been hurting, people had carried on with their lives, oblivious to their pain, it just proved that although when you were little the world appeared to revolve around you, it actually didn't, people lived their lives and everything happened, regardless of one person.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and looking in the mirror she saw Livie appear smiling gently at her, she smiled back catching hold of her daughter's hand and holding it as they drove back into the city towards their home.

It felt nice to be riding back up to their loft apartment in the elevator and when Rick unlocked the front door they all felt a warm sense of comfort and safety wash over them and Livie sighed in relief dropping her bag and looking around happily, Kate leaned against Rick and watched them before looking up at her husband as he cleared his throat "so how about hot chocolate and TV catch up" he asked, they all grinned and nodded, Livie bounced over "don't forget the marshmallows" she said, he grinned and bent allowing her to hop onto his back and he gave her a piggy back ride into the kitchen "of course how could I forget" Kate smiled and looked at Alexis who grinned at her, Kate wrapped her arm around the 17 year old and followed her husband and giggling daughter into the kitchen.

They watched TV episodes until they could barely keep their eyes open, then Kate turned to her daughter and kissed her gently "bed" she said softly, Livie sighed but nodded and hugged her family before stumbling up the stairs towards her room, Alexis followed after hugging them goodnight and Kate looked at Rick "bed" he suggested, she nodded and smiled and they moved over to their room and slowly undressed, she was just pulling out her nightwear when he came up and wrapped his arms around her, she smiled and turned to look at him, he traced his thumb across her cheek and down her neck and over her chest, he paused when he encountered her scar on her chest and he stroked it gently before kissing her neck "you are so beautiful" he whispered "thank god I didn't lose you" she smiled and ran her fingers through his hair closing her eyes as he kissed her neck gently, she slowly pushed him backwards onto the bed.

He gazed up at her lovingly as she smiled at him "I love you Rick" she whispered, "tell me you love me" he ran his hand through her hair "always" he said softly and she kissed him again pressing her body to his as he held her close, lovingly and comfortingly, she felt his hand slide over her body before it came to a rest at her waist, she sighed and rested her head over his heart, listening to it beat rhythmically, though as her hand ran from his hair to his chest she heard it quicken and she smiled before yawning, "let's get some sleep" he murmured, she rolled off him and curled up against him, safe in his arms, she hadn't dreamed again since that night not long after they had arrived, but she was always aware that they may come back again, Livie's had after her first incident and they still hadn't gone away, she hadn't gotten dreams of this incident yet, but Kate knew they would come eventually, it was inevitable.

She sighed and rested her head against the pillow, she felt Rick gently pull the covers up over her before he lay down next to her, holding her in his arms, she sighed contentedly, for now, everything was perfect, she just hoped that this was the end of the pain and suffering, and that she would be stepping into the light of peace and serenity with her family.

XOXO

Gibbs was down in his basement sanding away at the huge boat frame when he heard the door open and then there was a patter of feet and he looked up to see Tali come scrambling down the stairs, he smiled and dropped the sander "hey shortcake" he said catching hold of her as she launched herself at him "hiya Gibbs" she said hugging him tightly, he smiled and hugged her back before pulling away to look at her "well you managed to get yourself a tan didn't you" he commented and she grinned happily "did you have fun at the beach" he asked she nodded eagerly "Rick brought Livie's horse Skye up and Livie taught me how to ride, it was really fun" he smiled and released her so that she could bend to hug her dog as he came bounding towards her.

He looked up as Tony and Ziva came down the stairs both looking rather tanned as well, Tony had AJ in his arms "hey boss" Tony greeted "hey DiNozzo good week" he nodded "yeah it was fun", he smiled and kissed Ziva on the forehead "you do some relaxing Ziver" he asked, she nodded hugging him. "Hey boss crouch down" Tony said, bending and setting AJ on his feet, slowly Gibbs bent in front of the little boy. AJ looked at him before he let out a giggle and stumbled forwards, tottering the few steps in between them and falling into Gibbs' arms.

Gibbs laughed as he straightened the little boy in his arms "well look at you clever man, walking hey, more trouble for your mommy and daddy right" he giggled and waved his arms around, Ziva smiled proudly at him "was the dog well behaved" she asked looking at Tali who was hugging their dog who was licking her enthusiastically, Gibbs smiled "yeah he was, nice to have the extra company around here" Ziva smiled "come on tateleh we need to get home to put Aiden to bed" Tali stood with a small sigh and hugged Gibbs "thanks for looking after Brodie uncle Gibbs" she said "no problem shortcake" he said "can I come help you build the boat soon" she asked looking at the huge frame, he nodded "of course whenever you want" she grinned and hugged him again before bending and clipping Brodie's lead onto his collar and picking up his stuff and heading up the stairs.

"thanks again boss for having him on such short notice and getting us the leave" Tony said, Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder "no problem Tony but back to normal on Monday" Tony frowned "how do you mean" he asked and then yelped as he received a Gibbs slap over the back of the head "think DiNozzo" Gibbs mock growled, "yep sorry boss" Tony muttered wincing "rule 6" Gibbs said and Tony rolled his eyes "never apologise, it's a sign of weakness ok got it" Gibbs smiled "go on now" he said "get out of here and get your kids to bed" Ziva smiled "yes Tali could do with an early night, I don't think they went to bed early many times, they stayed up and talked a lot" Gibbs smiled and watched them exit his basement, then he turned back to the boat with a smile picking up the sander, it was good to have the DiNozzos back.

XO

Ziva unlocked the front door and allowed Tony to pass, he was carrying AJ who was whimpering, utterly exhausted so he carried him straight into his room, Ziva looked at Tali as she came in with Brodie, "sort Brodie out and then go to bed" she said "you look tired tateleh" Tali smiled and nodded before sorting her dog out and then heading into her room, Ziva picked up the post and sifted through it before deciding to do it in the morning so she headed towards Tali's room and knocked on the door before poking her head round, Tali was just tying her hair back eying her phone whish was signalling that she had just received a message.

"Amir" she said smiling at her mom "back to normality tomorrow, out running at 0500" Ziva smiled at her and watched as she clambered into her bed, Ziva moved over and sat on the edge and tugged the covers over Tali as she had done when she was tiny, Tali grinned at her and snuggled down "are you going to remain friends with Kate and Brennan and Booth and everyone else" Ziva smiled as she played with her daughters hair for a minute, "of course I am" she said "just like you, April, Alexis and Livie are going to remain friends" Tali grinned "I think after everything we have been through it would be hard for us not to remain friends" she joked, Ziva smiled and leant down to kiss her daughter "layla tov" she said softly "good night" Tali responded sleepily before closing her eyes.

Ziva watched her daughter drift off to sleep before she quietly slipped out of the room closing the door behind her, Tony was unpacking their bags and filling the washing machine "did AJ go down alright" Ziva asked "yup" he said "out like a light" she smiled at him before catching hold of his hands "leave it" she said "we will do it in the morning ok, let's just go to bed" he smiled at her "won't say no" he said and stopped what he was doing and followed her into the bedroom.

XOXO

The blaring alarm made Tali jump as she awoke the next morning, she groaned before she fumbled for the clock and slammed her hand on it before sighing in relief that the noise had stopped then she hauled herself out of bed and over to the chest of drawers and she pulled out her work out clothes and slowly pulled them on before tying her hair back and moving out into the kitchen, she filled her water bottle and then looked at Brodie "I'll take you out later" she told him as she slipped into her trainers and grabbed her keys exciting the apartment and heading out.

She crossed the road and slipped into the park where she spotted a familiar figure already warming up, she jogged over and he grinned as she joined him stretching "hey kita how was the Hamptons" he asked, she grinned "nice thanks, I feel better now, so much more relaxed" he smiled at her "you feel ready to run" he asked "or you been lying on the beach not exercising" she gave him a dirty look "I could still beat you if I hadn't exercised in years slowcoach" he grinned and narrowed his eyes at her, "want a bet on that" he asked before he turned and ran.

Laughing she took off after him catching him up and setting the pace and they ran side by side in silence, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the empty park, they took a turn and headed off down the road as they arrived at their edge of the park and jogged down it speeding up as they felt comfortable at the pace at which they were running, they ran their usual run through the streets and back to the park, as they neared the finish Amir looked at her "race you to the gate" he said and took off at a sprint, laughing Tali took off and pushed herself to run faster until she caught up with him and at the last second she overtook him racing into the park and raising her arms above her head laughing "I win" she said turning to see him bending over panting "I let you win" he gasped making her giggle and they set off at a walk to cool off "so was it hard to say goodbye to your friends" he asked, she smiled "a bit yeah, especially Livie cus she had to go back to New York but we are planning a mega Skype session soon and me and April plan to meet up, you should come, you can meet her boyfriend Seth".

He looked at her suddenly interested "so it would be like a double date, does that make me your boyfriend" he asked, she punched him playfully on the arm as he said that before looking at him, remembering what Livie and April had said about him _"__Tali that boy is crazy about you, and I only met him for about a minute, I mean you saved his life, and he is willing to just stay friends because you are unsure, he moved back to America a few streets down from you because he loves you"_ she looked at Amir standing in front of her gazing at her, she ducked her head uncertainly, she loved Amir yes, but as a friend and she was terrified of losing him as a friend if those feelings changed to love and things didn't work out, she didn't want to lose what they had, he was the only one who understood what she had been through that day at the white house, because he had gone through the same pain and terror that she had, and he was the only one who would spar with her, well her mother would but she went easy on her, Amir had stopped doing that when he realised he couldn't just beat the crap out of her.

"we'll see" she said glancing at him, and she saw his face brighten "so do you fancy meeting up for an evening with them" she asked and he nodded "sure sounds fun kita" she grinned and looked at her watch "I gotta get back, we have loads to do now we are back and I promised my uncle Gibbs I would build the boat with him" Amir smiled as they headed back towards her building "that boat nearly done" he asked, she grinned "getting there" she said "hey I still have my boat in the marina maybe we could go out on it some time, it is only a sail boat though, no engine" he laughed "sounds good, is that the last one you made that your uncle Gibbs named _Talia_" he asked, she nodded and he grinned "do you know how to sail" he asked, she shrugged "getting there" she said and he laughed again as they reached the road "well see ya soon kita, Monday if not before" she nodded "back to school" she said with a sigh "see you Amir" he jogged off with a wave and she crossed the road and headed up into their building.

When she entered their apartment all was still silent, but as she passed AJ's room she could hear sounds so she opened the door to find AJ standing up in his cot peering out, when he saw her he giggled and reached through the bars to her, "hey Aiden" she said moving into the room "mommy and daddy still sleeping little man" he giggled and held his hands up, smiling she picked him up and hugged him "come on let's let mommy and daddy lie in yeah" she dressed him and carried him into her room setting him on her bed, he crawled over to the end of her bed where her old stuffed hippo Bernie sat, he reached out and picked it up gripping its leg tightly "that's mine AJ" she said sitting next to him smiling.

He looked at her and hugged the toy making her smile "you can keep it if you want" she said and he giggled at her clutching the toy, she lay down on her front in front of him watching him, he looked at her before he reached out to touch her face, she smiled and closed her eyes as his fingers brushed across her nose, she looked at him and smiled "don't worry AJ, you won't go through what I have been through, you're going to have a undamaged childhood, no one will hurt you, you are going to remain unbroken , happy, innocent, I promise you Aiden I will protect, as your big sister I swear to you that nothing will ever harm you" he looked at her interested "Tah Lee" he said and her eyes widened "what" she said "Tah Lee" he said again "Tali" she grinned "yeah Aiden that's me Tali, your big sister" he giggled and she laughed again and scooped him up and carried him out to the living room dancing happily.

"you look happy my ninja" she whirled round to see her father standing in the doorway running his hand through his already tussled hair, she grinned at him "yeah I am" she said and scrambled into the bedroom "ima" she gasped, Ziva looked up groggily and smiled at the sight of her two children "what my love" she asked, Tali scrambled onto the bed and set AJ down, "watch this" she said excitedly before turning to her brother "hey Aiden who am I" he looked at her before reaching out to her "Tali" he said and a huge grin split onto Ziva's face and it was mirrored in Tony's as he moved back into the room "wow little buddy" he exclaimed "look at you my man, knowing who your sister is" he giggled

Ziva smiled at her family, this was the life she had never expected when she was growing up, but god she was glad she had it. She had thought she would be stuck as a killer for the rest of her life, not asking questions, just doing as she was told, but now, she had escaped that life and now it was never going to claim her again try as they might, she looked at Tony and he grinned at her, everything was perfect for them now.

XOXO

April was awoken the next morning by Libby leaping on top of her "April" she chimed "wake up", April groaned and pulled the pillow over her head "to early Libs" she mumbled "go back to sleep" "it's not early" Libby said and April peered at her clock "it's 7am kiddo" she said, she heard a laugh from the doorway and peered out to see her dad standing in the doorway "you got more of a lie in than we did" he said "she decided to wake us up at 6" "well she managed to get more sleep than us in the car" April said with a yawn "ok kiddo I'm up"

Libby grinned and then leapt off the bed "you promised we would go to the park when we got back" she said to April as she sat up yawning "yeah I know but not at this hour" Libby pouted "you promised" she said looking at April with her big blue eyes, April groaned "fine let me get dressed and eat something first though ok monkey" Libby nodded and slipped out of the room, instantly April fell back against her pillows "you know she will be back in about a minute to check you are up right" Booth said, April groaned again before sitting up and stretching "coffee" Booth offered "please" she mumbled and with a smile he left, leaving her to get dressed.

She staggered over to her chest of drawers and grabbed a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, carefully pulling them on and then grabbing her trainers and an old fleece. When she staggered down the stairs Libby was already dressed and eating her breakfast eagerly, April took the coffee and yawned again "where's mom" she asked "checking in with Angela" Booth said "she said she had some pretty big news and to go over the moment she was up, no matter what the time" April smiled and slotted two slices of toast into the toaster and then looked at Libby who smiled at her sweetly and innocently.

By the time April had eaten she was bouncing with excitement "whoa chill Libs" April said "is there a guy at the park or something" "there better not be" Booth muttered as Libby frowned "no" she said "I just want to play" April smiled "go get some shoes then" she said and she shot off "I'll keep her entertained for a few hours" April said "maybe take her to the diner or something" "cheers" her dad said smiling at her "gives me an excuse to tidy up" April grinned and headed back up the stairs to grab her bag, she picked up a few things placing them in the bag and then grabbed her wallet and headed down the stairs to where Libby was waiting trying to tie her shoelaces, she bent to help her with a smile.

"Bunny running, remember" she said making a loop "bunny runs round the tree and then down into the burrow yeah, that gives us two bunny ears" Libby grinned and tried with the other one and after a couple of attempts she managed and beamed happily, April smiled at her and helped her into her jacket and they headed to the hall where she found her dad waiting, he handed her some money "for lunch and ice cream" he said with a smile "thanks dad" she said with a grin hugging him "ice cream" Libby chimed excitedly making her grin "see ya later dad" she called as she caught hold of Libby's hand and exited the house shutting the front door and making her way down the road with Libby skipping along beside her "how long can we stay out" she asked, April smiled at her "as long as you want but we are going to talk to Livie and Tali at 3 remember" "yeah and Alexis" Libby said "of course how could I forget" April said with a smile.

They arrived at the park and Libby eagerly ran in and rushed to the climbing frame, as expected at this early hour it was empty so Libby had the park to herself, April went and sat on the park bench watching her sister before she pulled out her diary and a pen and opened it at the first clean page.

_Dear Diary_

_Well I am back and guess what, I got in trouble again, got kidnapped by a psychotic sniper who turned out to be Livie's biological dad, esh none of us were expecting that, he took Tali and I to keep our parents at bay and Livie to lure her mom into his clutches, apparently he got all possessive when he found out what he considered to belong to him was not with someone else, I can see why Kate didn't tell Livie about him, he was dangerous._

_Kate risked so much to help us, she gave herself over to him to stop him from hurting us and risked her life holding him down so that Tali and I could get away, and she nearly died afterwards, he tried to strangle her but Livie stopped him, she shot him, she hides how much pain she is in, a few times whilst we were away she was tossing and turning in the night and one of us would wake her, she was fine after that but rather shaky, I would be too if I had to shoot my dad that I had never met before because he was trying to kill my mum._

_I feel for Livie, she really has been through hell, Tali was able to shake it off, she was calm throughout and well, I am used to it, but Livie, she still hasn't totally gotten over the first time she was taken, her marks hold her back, then her mom was shot and now this, abducted by her own biological father who didn't even care about her, if we hadn't found her, she would have died of hypothermia. I got shot again, but not as bad this time, just a graze when I was escaping with Tali._

_We are so close now, Tali , Livie and I, well we did go through hell together, protected each other and supported each other, we have an alliance formed, and we helped create a unity between our teams, a unity that we will help keep alive, because you never know when it will be useful to have contacts at NCIS or in New York, or just some great friends, we are planning to Skype each other today, my dad joked that surely we can last more than 24 hours without talking but this is just a tester I told him and I guess that after everything we have been through, we just want to know that we are all ok, that we are all safe._

_Well I better go, Libby is coming over, and I bet she wants to play on the swings, then it is time to take her to an early lunch._

_Xx_

April closed the little book and placed it in her bag and looked up to see Libby coming over "hey kiddo" she said "having fun" Libby nodded enthusiastically "can you come give me a push on the swings" she asked, April nodded "sure come on then" she followed Libby over to the swings and lifted her onto the seat and began to push her "higher" Libby giggled "higher April" "oh you wanna go higher huh" April said with a smile "yeah" Libby squealed "ok then hold on tight monkey" she pushed Libby higher and higher smiling as she laughed in delight "you swing too" Libby exclaimed, smiling April sat on the other swing and pushed off, the two of them swung back and forth laughing as they watched the park and the field slowly fill as people began to arrive, jogging and dog walking or just passing through on their way to work, clutching newspapers and cups of coffee as they hurried to work or to the subway.

They swung back and forth for a while "April" Libby asked "yeah" April said smiling at her "where were you when you disappeared" the little girl asked, April's smile faltered "you don't need to know Libby" she said, Libby frowned at her "But you were gone and you didn't say goodbye and you came back with a sore tummy" April slid off of the swing and crouched in front of her sister, she looked at her before smiling "let's go get lunch yeah" she said, Libby nodded and took her hand following her out of the park.

April took her to the King's Diner where they loved to eat and they ordered their food before sitting down in a booth, April looked at her sister happily drinking her milkshake "you know what mommy and daddy do right Libby" she said finally, Libby looked up at her "yeah they catch bad guys" she said, April bit her lip "bad guys do bad things Libby, and sometimes, people get hurt trying to stop them" Libby looked at her "were you hurt stopping a bad guy" she asked, April slowly nodded, Libby looked at her "could you have died" she asked, "no" April said "of course not monkey, I wasn't going to leave you forever" Libby stared at her miserably "Libby I promise you I will always be there for you, even when I am at college, all you have to do is give me a call and I will be there for you yeah" Libby looked at her "give you a call, like you told me to do at the home" she said, April stiffened at the mention of their time at the foster centre before she nodded "yeah like that kiddo".

Their food arrived and they began to eat "April" Libby said and April looked at her "you promise you won't ever leave me" April smiled "I promise Libby I will always be there to catch you when you fall" slowly she raised her hand over her heart and drew an X "cross me heart and hope to die little monkey" Libby grinned "and I promise to always be there for you April" she said excitedly "pinkie promise" she held up her little finger and April hooked her own around it "we will be there for each other right" she said "cus that is what sisters are there for" Libby grinned "sisters" she proclaimed "sisters" April echoed with a grin, then she checked her watch "come on kiddo, eat up then we can head back and get ice cream before going to talk to the others"

Libby grinned and began to eat again with renewed intensity. Once they had finished and April had paid she took her sister and they headed back on their walk home, they stopped for ice cream and then watched some ducks before April bent and allowed Libby to climb onto her back and she gave her a piggy back home. When she arrived and managed to get in through the front door had dad was sitting at the kitchen table with a file in front of him, "hey munchkin" he said smiling and lifting her onto his lap as Libby rushed forward. "Back only a day and they have you working already" April teased as she hung up her coat "nah" he said "this is the paperwork from the Adam Wesley case" "oh" April said falling silent before she gave a weak smile. Then she looked at her watch "well I had better go log onto Skype so we can talk to the girls, coming Libs" the little girl grinned and nodded and followed her up the stairs eagerly.

XOXO

Kate was woken up by a faint shriek from upstairs, followed by a howl, she sat up suddenly but Rick was already gone, "I'll go" he said running out of the bedroom, Kate hesitated before she followed clambering up the stairs to see Livie's bedroom door open, she carefully crossed over to it and then peered inside.

Livie was shivering and clinging to Rick tightly as he held her tight against his chest whispering to her and rubbing her back gently "it's ok" he whispered "just a dream honey, just a dream", Livie's breathing was fast and her eyes wide but slowly her breathing regulated "it was so real" she whispered, one of her hands clenched at his shirt, neither of them appeared to have noticed Kate standing in the doorway and she left it that way, waiting in case she was needed…

"I know honey, I know, but I promise you that you are safe sweetheart, nothing will harm you again" Rick whispered, Livie let out a gentle laugh still shaking "that's a big promise, I am like Tali and April, we are magnets for danger" Rick chuckled gently "I know honey but for now you are safe, I promise, I won't let anything hurt you now ok, so relax sweetheart" Livie continued to cling to him, and Kate could see her visibly relaxing, she smiled and very quietly headed back down the stairs, Livie was fine, with her daddy.

XO

When Kate woke up the next morning the bed was empty and she was lying covered by the sheets curled up on her side, she could hear laughing coming from the kitchen so she slowly rose and dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose button down shirt, then with a sigh she ran the brush through her long brown curls and headed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where she found Rick cooking pancakes, Livie and Alexis were sitting at the counter laughing at his attempts to flip them, and judging by the state of the floor, more had landed on the floor than back in the pan.

She moved over and kissed the top of both the girls' head "morning" she greeted" "morning" they chimed back and Rick grinned at her "you are clearing this mess up Mr Castle" she said as she carefully picked her way through the mess to kiss him, he grinned at her "I had guessed as much" he said "want some" he offered, she smiled but shook her head "no thanks I have to go out, me and Lanie have things to do" she saw Alexis look and her and she nodded slightly and she saw her face split into a grin before she ducked her head hurriedly back to her plate.

Rick looked at his wife "anything I need to know about" he asked, she smiled at him "not yet" she said giving him a kiss before she ducked out of the kitchen to hug both girls before she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door calling her goodbyes out. Rick looked at Livie who shrugged then they looked at Alexis who shrugged to but kept her eyes firmly on her plate, Rick looked at the door again before he shook his head and turned back to his fun in the kitchen "another one kiddo" he asked and Livie nodded grinning, reaching for the chocolate sauce.

XOXO

Kate scrambled out of her car and slipped across the road jogging over to where she saw Lanie waiting, she hugged her best friend "thanks for coming" she said as they headed into the huge building in front of them "no problem girl" Lanie said "I can see you really want to do this and I think that if it will make you happy, I want to be there for you throughout" Kate smiled "I hope it makes the Rick and Livie happy" she said "it is for them that I want to do this" Lanie looked at her "girl of course it will make them happy, quit worrying ok", Kate smiled and they headed off to their location.

XO

It was two hours later when they came out and she let out a long breath "well that was easier than I thought" she said, Lanie grinned "now you just have to get Writer Boy to sign those papers", Kate smiled "I am hoping that won't be too hard" she said "fancy going out to lunch" she asked "my treat" Lanie grinned "sounds awesome, need to catch up, and you need to tell me how the rest of your holiday was"

Kate laughed and led her towards her car and they clambered in and headed off to a coffee shop that they both liked, once they had both ordered their food they sat back" "so" Lanie said "did you do anything that last week or did you lie on the beach" Kate smiled "actually we all went walking a couple of days, hiked as far as we could, ate lunch and then hiked back, the second day Livie took Skye and the girls kept cantering off and jumping over walls, Livie nearly gave Rick a heart attack when she steered Skye at a solid 5ft stone wall, though I felt worried too, but she and Skye leapt it turned around and jumped it again, she wanted to go over an even higher one but I think we all drew a line at 5ft" Lanie laughed "sounds like you had a good last week" she said, Kate nodded smiling.

"It was sad to say goodbye though" she said "Libby bless her looked like she was about to cry, she was hoping we could all stay forever" Lanie smiled "bet the girls didn't want to say goodbye to each other after everything they have been through together" Kate smiled "yeah they were a bit uncertain, kept hugging each other but they are having a major Skype session tonight so that will make things easier" Lanie grinned at her as their food arrived and they quietened for a while eating happily until Lanie looked up at her "how are you doing Kate" she asked softly, "after you know what happened to … him in the room"

Kate looked at her best friend and opened her mouth to respond that she was fine, but then she closed it hesitating, Lanie knew her too well, she would see right through any lie she told, "still shocked" she said softly "I mean I still can't believe it was him, what he did to his own daughter" Lanie took her hand sympathetically "I keep dreaming that we are back there" she whispered softly "but in the dreams it is Livie he is holding with a gun to her head not me, and I can't get out of the basement and he is counting down the time, I start crying out when he hits ten seconds, someone wakes me before he hits zero or I wake myself up when he does, but I always hear the shot and it terrifies me" "oh honey, don't worry they will go away" Lanie said gently, Kate nodded and forced a smile onto her face "I just try to remember him as the man I met at 18 rather than the man who left me when I needed him or the man who tried to kill me, that makes it easier" Lanie nodded and Kate changed the subject "so how are Javi and Ryan, Gates mad at them for leaving so suddenly" Lanie grinned "she was a bit but when she learned what had happened to you and Livie she was much better about it, she says that you need to come back soon though because she doesn't want everyone to think that she is being over lenient or has favourites, though she said you need to pass your psych exam again and your gun test" Kate scowled making Lanie laugh.

They finished their meal and then headed back to her car and Kate drove Lanie home where they parted ways with a hug "are you going to talk to writer boy tonight" Lanie asked, Kate shrugged "probably, the sooner I do, the sooner I can get it finalised hey" Lanie nodded "good luck girl" she said and shut the door. Smiling Kate drove home, feeling happy and content.

XO

When she opened the door she heard shouting and laughing and Livie appeared leaping over the sofa and ducking down behind it wearing one of the laser tag vests and holding the laser gun, she grinned and waved when she saw her mom and Kate looked over to see Rick sneaking along the bookcase wearing another vest, he leapt towards Livie who squealed and shot over to her mom ducking behind her, "hi Kate" Rick said moving over and pulling her into his arms whirling her round out the way before setting her down and firing at Livie who ducked laughing and leapt behind a post, grinning Rick turned back to his wife and gave her a quick kiss "Lanie ok" he asked, she nodded smiling "seriously how old are you" she asked "never too old for laser tag" he said with a grin, she rolled her eyes again looking over at Livie peering around the post at Rick, her eyes sparkling.

Kate smiled before looking at her watch then up at Livie "you might have to leave saving the world from the evil Ricks till tomorrow cus you have a Skype session soon" Livie's eyes brightened "yeah, defending the world will be resumed later" she said, switching off her vest, Rick followed in suit "good match" he said holding out his hand which Livie shook grinning before she scrambled up the stairs calling "Lexie, It's time"!

XOXO

Tali grinned as two faces appeared on her screen "hey guys" she said "how's it going in the Big Apple" Livie and Alexis both grinned "yeah not bad" Livie said "how's DC, I miss it already" Tali laughed and then grinned as their screen shrunk to make room for another screen and April appeared with Libby on her lap, the four year old squealed when she saw them "hi Lexie" she squealed "no favouritism there then" Tali said to Livie who grinned, "hi" April said "how's it going" "not bad" they both responded April smiled "so what's new" she asked, leaning back "what has everyone else done today" they all laughed.

XOXO

Kate and Rick were sitting downstairs listening to the girls laughing as they chattered to their friends, Kate looked at Rick "thank you for caring for Livie last night" she said, he smiled at her "any time you know that" she gazed into his eyes "yes" she whispered "I know that but I want to make sure it is always true" he looked at her questioningly and she stood "today when I went out with Lanie, it wasn't just for a girlie day, I wanted to do something and she came to help me" she moved over to her bag and pulled out the file.

"I love you Rick, so much, I never want to lose you but we both know that my job is dangerous, and that one day I might not be so lucky, I am so glad that I found you because you are everything that I wanted for Livie as she was growing up, I want to make sure that she never loses you" she took a deep breath and handed him the file.

Very slowly he opened it and read the first few lines then his eyes widened "legal adoption" he whispered, she nodded "should something happen to me, I don't want Livie to have to lose you too, I spoke to my dad who was her legal guardian should something happen to me and he totally agrees, you are the only one who has ever been like a father to her, and I want you to become her father legally" he stared at her in shock, and she stared at him "that is only if you want to though" she said ducking her head "I mean you might not want another daughter, but I just thought…" she was cut off as his lips came down on hers and he kissed her slowly and passionately.

When they pulled apart they were both gasping for breath and Rick's eyes were slightly wet, "Kate" he whispered "I don't know what to say" he looked back down at the forms "I can't believe that you trust me enough to do this" he said, she looked at him "I have watched you care for my daughter so well recently, of course I trust you" she said, then she looked at him "is that a yes then" she asked "do you want to legally adopt Livie" he kissed her again "of course I do, I have been dreaming of doing it for ages, I love Livie Kate, so much, I would love to really be her father" Kate grinned, blinking back tears "I thought that it was just a mere technicality for the two f you that you weren't father and daughter" she teased "ah now it doesn't have to be" Rick said "now where is a pen", Kate smiled and handed him one "I even asked Alexis and she was up for it" she said happily, he grinned at her, he looked so happy. Kate knew she had made the right choice.

"come on then" she said, "lets fill these in, but let's not tell Livie until we know if we can do this yeah cus we still have a lot to do before we can be sure" he nodded and placed the file on the table, pulling her into his arms as they both bent over the forms to fill them in and hopefully, complete their family

**Hi hope you liked it, please review, they make my day.**

**Only one more chapter to go I am afraid.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Mysticgirl**


	21. Epilogue

**Hi – really painful to say this but this is the last chapter of this story, it has been amazing to hear your thoughts and I have loved writing it, I hope you enjoy this extra long last chapter **

Chapter 20

Two months passed and in that time, lots happened. In secret Rick and Kate continued to apply for legal adoption, they didn't want Livie to get excited and for it not to happen, they were both desperate for everything to work out, they kept Alexis in the loop because she already knew and she was just as eager for the adoption to work out as they were, she already considered Livie her sister, she wanted nothing more than for it to work out.

Kate smiled as she looked at the pictures on her desk, one of her family, Rick, Alexis and Livie all grinning at the camera, eyes sparking cheekily. The next showed a whole group of people all laughing at the camera. Their united team, their Alliance. They had been keeping in touch with NCIS and the Jeffersonion team; she mostly kept in contact with Ziva and Booth whilst Rick liked to keep in contact with Tony, McGee and Brennan. Gates had been quite impressed with her, how she had managed to get herself steady contacts in the two other agencies and they all called in favours from each other, she heard from them regularly, she and Ziva emailed each other a lot, and Booth emailed too from time to time.

She looked at the last picture smiling, it showed the three girls, Livie, April and Tali all sitting on Skye bareback, Alexis was standing next to the horse with Libby and AJ, they were all including AJ grinning at the camera, even Skye was cooperating and looking at the camera, ears pricked and forward.

The girls Skyped each other every Friday evening, for at least 45 minutes, Kate was glad they were all remaining such good friends. She had heard that Aiden was now one year old and chatting away to everyone and constantly annoying his parents as he ran around, he kept them on their toes Ziva said. Tali was fine too, she had fallen back into her usual routine, running in the morning and sparring or just exercising in the evening, her friend Amir was with her most of the time now, Ziva said they were getting a lot closer and Tony was beginning to get more protective. She had started horse riding too Ziva said, she loved it.

April was still with her boyfriend Seth and had gotten back into her routine too, she worked with Brennan in the lab at the weekends when there was no case and when there was one, she would take care of Libby who had just last week turned five years old and was proudly stating to everyone that she was now a big girl like her sister April. Booth said she was just like April, intelligent and hot headed.

The girls were best friends with each other and were talking about seeing each other in the holidays, Livie and Alexis had asked if Tali and April could come to New York and stay with them and their parents seemed to be fine with that though Libby wanted to come to. The girls may only talk once a week, but they texted each other daily, Livie's phone was constantly chiming, saying that she had a new message but that might also be from Alex.

Once Livie had returned to New York she had spoken to Alex and found out where he lived, they had become very close and quite regularly they went round to each other's houses, the main thing they did though was ride. Alex had moved his horse Red to Livie's yard, he said he had been meaning to move for months but Kate had a feeling it was a sudden move, the two of them went out riding regularly. Red was a large stocky horse, bright bay with a blaze down his face, he was very strong but loved Skye, when they went out he was constantly nipping playfully at her Livie said and nibbling her mane, Skye seemed to be playing hard to get because she squealed every time he did that but did it herself to him.

Alex and Livie went riding every other evening, sometimes schooling the horses – something Red needed a lot of – and sometimes hacking and charging through the woods, they were riding now Kate knew, and Livie said she wanted to see Lanie so she would catch the bus to the precinct once she was done, she smiled, they should be done soon she thought, but it gave her a little longer to work on her case, she looked at Rick who was reading his way through the most recent stack of forms he had been sent to fill in for the adoption process "lawyers can never make things simple can they" he grumbled, she smiled at him "come on Rick, after all these years of following me around you have only just realised that" he gave her a mock glare, she smiled "you do your paperwork now Mr Castle and I will do mine" she said and looked back down at her own work with the smile remaining on her face.

XOXO

Livie laughed as she bent low over Skye's neck and galloped through the woods along the recently built cross country course, she could hear the thunder of hooves from behind her as Red and Alex tore after them, she steadied Skye as they approached the next fence and held her until they were at the correct distance from the jump before urging her forward over the jump, she heard Red take off and land behind her and giggling she urged Skye to go faster.

She turned her head to see them not far behind her "keep up slowcoach" she shouted laughing at him before turning back to face the front, it wasn't long before Red came charging up so that they raced side by side leaping over the jumps "you know maybe we should do some team cross country" Alex shouted as their horses leapt and landed at the same time, Livie laughed again.

They charged out of the forest across the drive and skidded to a stop in the middle of the yard "seriously" the yard owner Carrie shouted with a smile on her face as she peered out of a stable to see what the commotion was about "get some brakes you two" they both laughed and headed into the school to cool their horses off walking around side by side "that was so much fun" Alex said "totally" Livie said grinning as she patted Skye's neck, Red swung his head towards Skye making her squeal and nip back at him "Skye" Livie chided as they stopped in the middle "manners please" Skye swung her head round and lipped at her boot playfully, Livie smiled and slid off loosening her girth and pulling the reins over her head as she and Alex led their horses to their stables which were side by side much to their delight.

Livie took off Skye's tack before she fetched a bucket and a sponge filling the bucket with water and using it and the sponge to bath her sweaty horse, soaking her sweaty patches before giving it to Alex to bathe Red with, then she stood and hugged Skye's nose, the mare stood their happy to be fussed, she grinned as she looked into her liquid brown eyes "you are one spoiled horse" she told her "you love to be fussed and pampered and that is exactly what you get isn't it" Skye looked at her before lowering her head to her pocket making Livie laugh "yeah you know what you want right" she said producing an apple and giving it to the intelligent horse before she took her tack back and fetched her grooming kit and brushing the horse over before she threw the rugs on and buckled them up, then she refilled her water and prepared her feed. Once Skye was bedded down for the night she gave her one last hug before she slipped out and carefully bolted the stable door.

Alex was just coming out of Red's stable and he grinned at her "ready to go" he asked and she nodded, they called their goodbyes to Carrie before they headed down the track to the nearest bus stop. As they sat on the bus Livie leaned against Alex and he put his arm around her holding her all the way back into town, then they hopped off and walked the rest of the way to the end of his road "where are you going" Alex asked "precinct" she said pointing "not far, maybe a 10 minute walk" "I'll walk with you" he said immediately "not safe in new York city at this hour" she gave him a look "I know that more than anybody and don't worry I will be fine" "I will feel more comfortable walking you" he said gazing at her with his big blue eyes, she looked at him "fine" she said with a smile and linked arms with him and headed to the precinct talking about their horses and their next ride.

When she arrived they stepped in and paused "well thanks" Livie said kissing him on the cheek "see you soon yeah" he looked like he wanted to say something but she waited and he didn't so she waved and headed into the elevator. The doors were just about to close when he suddenly stopped them, she looked at him confused as he slipped in and they closed "Alex what are you…" she was cut off as he caught hold of her and pressed his lips to hers, she froze shocked before very slowly she began to kiss him back feeling his hands at her cheeks and she carefully placed hers at his neck when they pulled apart she stared at him in shock "I just thought it was time we tried a kiss on the lips" he said softly staring at her.

She stared at him before she pulled him back down pressing her lips back to his, feeling his hands slip down to her hips as he held her. Neither of them heard the elevator arrive at its destination.

XO

Kate looked at her watch and then back at Rick, "Livie will be here soon so you might want to put that away" she said, "won't complain" he said putting the forms back in the file with a relieved sigh, she smiled and rolled her eyes "yo Beckett Livie not back yet" Esposito called "not yet, soon though" Kate called "she texted to say she was on her way" they both nodded at her.

At that moment there was a ding and they all looked up as the elevator doors slid open and they all stared in shock at what they saw inside. Livie was standing there in Alex's arms her lips pressed against his her hands at his neck. Most of the bullpen went silent at the sight of them and most people glanced at Kate who stared at her daughter in surprise, wow how things have changed she thought "déjà vu" she muttered to Rick, that was how she and him had been found out, kissing in the elevator. She looked over at Rick and found him staring in shock at Livie, uncertainty in his eyes, she looked at Ryan and Esposito and saw then standing there arms folded eyeing Alex. Kate winced; she wouldn't want to be him at this moment.

That was when the two teenagers suddenly realised they were being watched and they broke to see everyone staring at them, Livie went cherry red and stepped uncertainly away from Alex out of the elevator, she spoke to him still blushing and he grinned at her, then he looked over her shoulder where he spotted Ryan and Esposito looking at him threateningly, the message was clear 'we have our eye on you', he eyed them, and Livie looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at the sight of them then she said something and kissed him on the cheek before he stepped back allowing the doors to close.

Livie turned and walked back to the bullpen a small spring in her step "hi" she said "hi" everyone said looking at her, she eyed them all before turning to look at Ryan and Esposito "guys no need to give him the death glare ok he didn't do anything wrong" they both looked at her "you would tell us if he did though right" Esposito said "so we can get him" she rolled her eyes "yes you two will be the first to know", Kate smiled those two really were the two prefect uncles she had always wanted Livie to have.

Livie looked at Rick "ur dad you ok" she asked, Rick looked at her startled "huh oh yeah I'm good" he said and Livie nodded "I'm going to say hi to Lanie" she said and headed off in the direction of the coroner's office "um I'll go too" Kate said not wanting to be left with the men discussing how Livie was too young in their opinion to be dating, she jogged to catch up and followed her down the stairs.

"so" Livie said looking at her "so what" Kate asked innocently "Ryan and Esposito are being protective uncles, Rick is being a typical father thinking it is too soon, what are you going to say to me" Livie asked with a smile on her face, Kate looked at her "nothing" she said naively "except make sure your heart doesn't rule over your head and make sure you make your own choices not him making your decisions for you" Livie nodded "thanks mom" she said hugging her "I will make sure" Kate smiled and hugged her before releasing her to walk towards Lanie's office "seriously though in the elevator" she said "hey Ryan and Esposito told me that you kissed in the elevator, that was how they found out" "they told you that" Kate asked grinning "yeah they tell me a lot of things" "I don't want to know" Kate said with a smile.

"did you like it" she asked "yeah" Livie said "it was cool, real cool", "what was cool" Lanie asked appearing in the doorway to her office "hey Lanie" Livie chirped hugging her "hey girl, what as cool" she asked again "her first kiss" Kate said with a grin "mom" Livie complained as Lanie squealed "oh really oh my gosh, details girl" she cried excitedly, Livie rolled her eyes "ok so we went riding as usual but today I said I would catch the bus back cus mom and Rick were working so we both caught the bus back and he decided to walk me to the precinct" "aw" Lanie went grinning "and when we got there" Livie continued "I kissed him on the cheek and then went in the elevator, he slipped in and caught hold of me and kissed me on the lips"

Livie smiled and raised her hand to her lips brushing her finger across them smiling, "it was sudden and I was shocked but I liked it, a lot, so when he pulled away I kissed him back" "oh so romantic" Lanie said with a smile, and Kate rolled her eyes at her friend "then the doors to the elevator opened and everyone saw them" she said and Livie blushed as Lanie burst out laughing "shut up" she mumbled "I swear the lift journey is usually longer" both Kate and Lanie asked "if you don't stop teasing me I am going to go up to the bullpen" Livie threatened, Kate laughed "now that they have gotten over the original shock you don't think that their teasing is going to be even worse" Live sighed theatrically "fair point" she said. At that moment her phone rang and she lifted it "ur be right back" she said and sprinted from the room, before the door closed they heard her say "hi again Alex"

Kate smiled after her before looking at Lanie who was watching her "what" she asked "and you are ok with how things are going for her" Lanie asked "with how fast things are going", Kate looked at her best friend "she is a sensible girl Lanie" she said "and she seems happy, which I am happy with", Lanie studied her before moving forward "have you given her the talk" she asked, Kate froze "what talk" she asked "don't play silly with me girl, you know exactly which talk I mean" Lanie said eying her.

Kate winced "I don't want to give her the talk" she said "she is only 14" "14 with a boyfriend who she just kissed" Lanie pointed out, Kate opened her mouth to respond "I don't know what to say" she said. Lanie moved forward and took her hand "tell her what your mom told you" she said softly, Kate sighed and then nodded.

Livie reappeared just then with a smile on her face, she looked from Lanie to her mom "what did I miss" she asked "nothing" they both said and Lanie moved over to hug her, "come on kiddo we should head home now" Kate said Livie nodded and said her goodbyes to Lanie. "bye" the coroner called as they left "good luck Kate" Kate rolled her eyes and threw her a backwards wave as they exited and clambered back to the bullpen where they found Rick waiting for them "let's go" he said hurriedly "Gates just gave me the death glare" Kate smiled and grabbed her stuff "bye boys" she called "by Kate, bye Livie" they called as they slipped back into the elevator.

Kate was quiet on the drive home thinking, Lanie might be right she realised, Livie was getting close with her boyfriend, and she was happy for her but should she give her more advice than don't let your head be ruled by your heart? She looked at Livie sitting in the back seat, her own mom had given her the talk when she was 16, it had been great advice and all but she hadn't followed it, she had been rather brash as a teenager, eager to experience things. And that had ended her up as a mom, aged 18, don't get her wrong, she adored Livie and loved her with all her heart, it was just, being a mom so young hadn't made things easy for her, keeping a child happy and paying the bills had been hard at 21, and struggles were not what she wanted for Livie who had already been through so much.

They arrived back at the loft and Rick dropped them off, he was going to go have a poker tournament with his writing buddies, he gave them each a kiss before driving off with a wave and they entered the apartment together "Lexie" Livie called, there was no response, just a note on the counter saying she was with a friend studying for her finals.

Kate looked at Livie as she sat down on the sofa and took a deep breath, it was now or never she realised, she moved over and sat down opposite Livie who looked up at her questioningly "you know I love you right" Kate started, Livie nodded "yeah of course" she said, "and that I will always love you and support you no matter what choices you make or whatever might happen" Livie nodded again and the smallest frown was sneaking onto her forehead, Kate thought quickly "I just want to make sure that you know what you want out of life and that you won't throw it away over a boy by doing something silly or…" she fumbled for words and Livie's eyes widened "oh god mom are you giving me the talk"

"no" Kate said "I mean yes urgh I don't know" Livie leapt up "nuh uh mom nope no way, we are not having the talk just cus I kissed a guy" Kate gave her a look "believe me honey I want to be doing this about as much as you want to be hearing this, but it has to be done right" Livie shook her head "no it doesn't" she said "I think I know it and trust me I am going to be safe for a very long time", Kate groaned and caught hold of her arm "Livs just hear me out I think I feel just as embarrassed as you right now" "no I really don't think you do" Livie said, part of her looked like she wanted to laugh, the other part was struggling to remain serious and composed, "ah I don't know what to say, Lanie is the one who encouraged me to do this", Livie carefully tugged herself free "um maybe you should have done it when you felt ready mom" she said.

They both looked at each other, not knowing what to do or say, so Livie took the only visible option and bolted up the stairs. Kate groaned and lay across the chair, her phone dinged signalling a text, from Lanie:

'**How'd it go?'**

She groaned again before replying _'wonderful, thanks, that wasn't even remotely awkward", _the reply came back instantly **'Sarcasm?' **she rolled her eyes _'Ya think?' _she responded, then she closed her phone and headed up the stairs to Livie's room. Slowly she tapped on the door "ur Livs, can I come in sweetie" "yeah" Livie said quietly and she slowly pushed the door open, Livie was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling, slowly Kate moved in and sat on the edge of the bed looking at her , then Livie slowly turned her head to face her "sorry I shouldn't have run" she said "I just didn't know what to do" Kate smiled and rubbed Livie's leg reassuringly "it's ok, I didn't know what to do either, I wasn't expecting to have to do that for a good few years" Livie smiled "I think we both know that things don't always go the way we planned" she said and Kate smiled holding out her arms for Livie to crawl into and she snuggled up next to her mom.

"promise me you will be careful" Kate whispered "I promise" Livie mumbled "you know me mom, and I don't feel ready yet anyway" "don't let him make you feel ready" Kate said "you and only you know when you are ready ok" Livie nodded and looked up at her "quit panicking mom" she said, Kate sighed "I know it is just my mom gave me the same talk when I had my first boyfriend, and I didn't really listen to her and well" she rubbed Livie's arm "I became a mom sooner than intended" Livie smiled at her weakly "at least it is over and done with now" she said "phew" Kate said with a grin and they both smiled.

"shall we go watch a movie" Kate suggested, Livie nodded eagerly and they both leapt up and headed down the stairs together and put on a romance movie, when Alexis returned she joined them and the three of them lay across the sofa giggling at each other and the next movie that they put on, ordering a pizza not wanting to cook. When Rick returned they were still lying there "oo what we watching" he asked coming over to kiss them, he pulled a face at the title making them all laugh "if you don't want to join us go write" Kate said prodding him with her toe "earn back some of that money that you lost tonight" she grinned playfully "I actually earned 200 bucks" he said "ooo" the three girls chorused and he pulled another face "well I can see I am clearly not wanted so I will go write before Gina falls on my throat again for not writing fast enough" they both grinned and he headed into his office.

"oh by the way" he said poking his head out "I have to go to another ball in a few weeks, anyone feel like coming" they all looked at each other "sounds interesting" Kate said with a smile "I'm in" he grinned "girls" he asked, Livie and Alexis both looked at each other before looking back at him "we're in too" they said with a grin. And he smiled happily.

XOXO

April grinned as she spotted Tali moving towards her with Amir right behind her, "there" she said "told you they were just running late", Seth rolled his at her "hey man" he said clapping Amir on the shoulder as April hugged Tali. Amir and Seth had hit it off and were now good friends which pleased April and Tali and now the four of them were spending a lot of time together, today they were headed down to the pier where Tali's boat that she and Gibbs had made was moored, they were planning to take it out to an area where Tali knew well and spend the day there, the boys were very eager and by the time they set off they were bouncing with excitement.

Once they arrived at the location the boys sent the anchor down then leapt into the sea with war cries, April and Tali just laughed and watched them laughing and splashing each other. April looked at Tali, she was watching Amir fondly a smile on his face, then she looked at April and saw her looking "what" she asked, April shook her head "for someone who is very observant and notices everything you certainly are overlooking one thing" Tali looked at her "he loves you Tali" April said as they swung their legs dangling them over the side "and you love him" Tali looked up and opened her mouth to protest, April gave her a look so she closed it "I don't know how I feel" she then muttered "yes you do" April said "you just won't admit it to yourself" Tali looked at the boys diving under the water.

"I don't want to lose him as a friend" she mumbled "should things go wrong". April looked at her "I felt the same when I first kissed Seth" she said softly, "and I was uncertain because he was my best friend and he was the only one who had stuck by me after my first incident, but then after we kissed I realised that I wanted to be with him, so much, and somehow I knew that even if things turned out bad between us, he would always be my friend" Tali smiled at her "you two are certainly pretty close" she said and April grinned happily at her.

Seth and Amir suddenly appeared hauling themselves up onto the boat "lovely water for this time of the year" Seth said as April chucked him a towel "yeah I will take your word for it" she said "we only came out for a picnic not a swim, we were going to wait for summer for that" they grinned "man tough" Tali said in a deep voice "man like to show off" they both scowled at her as she grinned sweetly at them.

Throughout the rest of the day April saw Tali looking at Amir, she was clearly thinking, confused and uncertain, she loved Amir so much she couldn't bear to lose him as a friend, yet what if that love blossomed and changed, grew and intensified, what if she missed out on that all because she was afraid to lose him should they crash and burn.

They arrived back at the docks and they could see their parents waiting by their cars chatting away, they all tied up the boat and grabbed their things, Seth grinned and kissed April gently on the lips, "see you soon chick" he said softly "yeah" she said with a smile kissing him back. She turned round to see Amir kiss Tali on the forehead gently and he said something softly to her in Hebrew making her smile as he turned away, then she looked at April and an odd look crossed over her face before it became determined "Amir" she called and ran towards him, he turned and looked at her confused then his eyes widened as she grabbed hold of him and stretched up to kiss him solidly on the lips.

Up by the cars it all went quiet, April grinned as she watched before looking up, Ziva looked shocked but there was a smile on her face as she watched her daughter, as for Tony, his jaw hung slightly open, shocked, the same look her father had had when Seth had first kissed her, shock, worry, uncertainly, protectiveness, Tali was Tony's princess, his little girl, now suddenly she wasn't, she was grown up, kissing a boy.

She looked back at Tali her hands were on Amir's shoulders as she stretched up, he was frozen in surprise then slowly he dropped his stuff and caught hold of her, kissing her back, the love he had been holding inside of him just because she wasn't ready came flooding out, yet he was gentle with her, he knew how vulnerable she could be, how small things could set her off, frighten her back into a protective shell, and he didn't want that to happen. His hands were at her waist but then slowly they moved up to cradle her back holding her gently yet protectively in his arms as they stood there, eyes closed caught in the moment.

Tali pulled apart then and looked up at him as he stared at her "what was that for" he asked looking slightly dazed "to say thank you" she whispered "for everything, for coming back to me, for waiting, for never giving up on me, for being there for me whenever I needed you" he smiled at her "I always will be kita" he said and kissed her again. April beamed at Seth who winked at her, "wouldn't want to be Amir right now" he muttered "your dad didn't have a gun when I first kissed you, Tony does" April bit back a laugh "yeah" she said, Tali suddenly seemed to remember that their parents were watching just then and she pulled apart to look at them, she grinned sheepishly before looking back at Amir

"I don't want to lose what we have" she said desperately "I don't want to lose you as a friend" he cupped her cheek gently "never" he vowed "I promise you Tali, I will wait for you until you are ready, I understand that you don't want to go to fast I mean you are only 13" she smiled "yeah" she said biting her lip "I will wait" he said "do not be afraid of losing me Tali" she smiled and hugged him then and he pulled her close before releasing her "now I suggest you go to your dad before he gets all protective and tell him that it was just a one off" she smiled "thank you Amir" she whispered "you are amazing" he grinned at her and touched her cheek before picking up his stuff and the two of them headed up to where Tony and Ziva were waiting, Tony with his arms crossed, "this might be interesting" April whispered as she and Seth followed.

XOXO

Kate grinned as she descended the stairs with the girls and saw Rick's mouth drop as he saw them "ur whoa" he said "speechless girls, you look amazing" Kate smiled "thanks" she said "you look good too" he grinned and pulled her into his arms making her laugh as he spun her round before he set her down to gaze at her.

Her dress was simple, black and strapless, sweetheart neckline clinging to her body down to her waist where it loosened slightly into a flowing skirt, it had a low back and the material was soft and comfortable. He grinned at her "you, my beautiful look gorgeous" she smiled and kissed him gently, then he turned to look at Livie and Alexis standing grinning at them, "and of course I can't forget about my two beautiful girls can I"

Livie and Alexis did look amazing, Alexis had a beautiful gold dress, with a loose skirt and spaghetti straps, the back was below her shoulder blades with a lower plunging front, it was very beautiful and suited her completely. Livie was wearing a beautiful white one, made of thin filmy layers that floated around her, rounded neckline and beads down her front, she grinned happily, her light brown curls framing her face.

Rick grinned at them, "we all ready my beautiful ladies" they all nodded and they headed for the door smiling and down to where the car was waiting to take them to their second party.

XOXO

This one had less press here, it was more secluded but it had just as many important people including heads of many agencies including the FBI, and the mayor who swept over to greet Rick eagerly and he kindly said hello to Alexis and Livie before taking Rick and Kate over to a group of people. Livie and Alexis drifted over to the bar and sat down watching at the dance floor slowly filled with people.

"I like this party" Livie said to Alexis "more teenager friendly, more teenagers here too" Alexis smiled and nodded looking around at the couples dancing around, they both grinned as they saw Rick drag Kate onto the dance floor and pull her into his arms, they began to dance and Kate rested her head affectionately on his shoulder as they moved through the other dancers, effortlessly, fluidly.

"well this is a real sense of déjà vu" came a voice from behind and they both whirled round to see a girl with auburn brown hair standing there wearing a turquoise blue lacy dress that clung to her figure, it came to her thigh with long lacy sleeves and her hair this time was down, and the smile on her face was even bigger.

"April" Livie squealed and flung her arms around her friend, laughing April hugged her tightly back before opening her arm to Alexis and hugging her as she too joined in the scrum "you're here" Livie gasped still hugging her friend "yep" April said with a grin "and I found us a surprise too"

"Can I join in" came another voice and both Alexis and Livie squealed "Tali" and flung their arms around the youngest, dressed in a beautiful navy blue dress, she laughed and hugged them back and the four of them stayed in their embrace for a rather long time.

Then Livie pulled apart looking over to see Booth tugging Brennan onto the dance floor much to the surprise of her mom and Rick who laughed in delight hugging them. "what are you doing here" she asked Tali who grinned "I'm on the job" she said teasingly before laughing, "nah just kidding my mom and dad are here" she pointed to where they stood grinning at them from the other side of the room, both dressed up "they are sort of working, they volunteered to be a security detail tonight for the NCIS director Leon Vance" she pointed to a dark skinned man talking in the corner "he is really nice and told them I could come and see my friends and that they should enjoy the party too though they can't tell everyone at home that" they all laughed and saw April's parents and Livie's mom and Rick spot them and make their way over to greet them.

XO

Kate laughed as she hugged Brennan "you're here" she exclaimed "in New York", Brennan grinned and nodded before releasing her to greet Rick as Kate hugged Booth "hey" he said gently "How are you" she smiled "good actually, really happy to see you" he grinned back "is April with you" she asked, Booth nodded and pointed to the bar "looks like she already located Livie and Alexis" he said, they all looked over and saw the three of them hugging, then they noticed another girl with them.

"Is that…" Rick trailed off "no it can't be can it" Booth asked squinting "it is Tali" Kate said and looked around, it didn't take her long to spot Tony and Ziva standing to the side grinning at them, "it is because there are two of the other DiNozzos" she said and they all grinned and headed over "hey you're here too" Rick said joyfully pulling Tony into a man hug "yeah" Tony said with a laugh "though we are sort of working, security detail for Director Vance but no one else knows he is here and McGee is here too" they spotted the youngest agent and waved at him, he grinned and smiled back "he is here as the author of Deep Six but I think between the three of us we can keep an eye on Vance" Tony said "and he can take care of himself believe me" they all grinned before they moved towards the bar where their daughters were chatting and the four of them leapt up to hug the adults happily, exchanging recent news until dinner was called.

They managed to get a table to themselves and they all laughed and talked happily, Livie got rather embarrassed when her friends heard about her first kiss which made them both shriek in surprise and delight. It was great to have their team back together; it felt amazing to see their friends and family again.

"so how long are you all in New York for" Rick asked "not long" Booth said leaning back in his chair "probably just a couple of days, we have to get back to Libby and work" "same" Tony said "we trust Gibbs with AJ completely but we don't want to put him off babysitting forever" they all laughed "can we all go out tomorrow" Livie asked her eyes shining "it is our turn to show you the sights of New York City again" Alexis nodded eagerly, April and Tali looked at their parents "fine by me" Tony said with a grin "let's all go" Rick suggested "make a whole day of it" everyone grinned "I like the sound of that" Booth said "yeah" said their daughters together "sorted then" Rick said "we have two cars to squeeze into" everyone grinned.

The music started up again "come on Zee" Tony said excitedly and grabbed her, pulling her up and onto the dance floor making her laugh and he whirled her around making the skirts of her light blue dress swirl out around her before he pulled her into his arms and she hugged him tightly, content in his arms, Tali grinned and looked at her friends as their parents headed out as well to the dance floor "so Livie" she said with a grin "tell us about Alex" she went cherry red and scowled at her "not kissing and telling anymore" she said "but I feel happy with him" she looked at Tali "how's Amir" she asked "you realised how perfect he is for you yet"

April laughed "yes she has" she said excitedly "she kissed him" "ooo" Livie said "do tell since you have all heard about mine" Tali scowled before smiling "One off" she said just a tester and a thank you to him for always being there for me, but we both agreed to remain friends until I am older and we are both ready" "friends with benefits" Livie asked cheekily and laughed as Tali glared daggers at her. They sat and laughed well into the night before the party ended. Tony and Ziva went to Vance who had allowed them to stay in New York for a few extra days and he relieved them of their duties saying they could have a few more days here before heading back to work, they said goodbye to McGee before he and Vance headed to the airport.

The rest of them headed slowly out and Rick gave them their address "come there tomorrow for breakfast" he said with a grin "sweet" April said also grinning "see you tomorrow" still grinning the grins that hadn't left their faces since they had first seen each other, they all headed outside and then Tony and Booth went and hailed a cab whilst the girls said their goodbyes before they headed to their hotel and Kate, Rick, Alexis and Livie all clambered into their hire car and headed home.

After the girls had stumbled up the stairs to bed Kate crawled into bed next to her husband resting her head on his chest as he played with her hair gently "you know" he said quietly "the lawyers said we would get the verdict on whether I get to legally adopt Livie tomorrow" she looked up at him before she kissed him gently "no matter what happens tomorrow" she said softly "you will always be Livie's father, by blood or not, it doesn't matter" he smiled at her gently "I still hope things work out" he said and she sighed and rested her head back on his chest "me too" she mumbled "I think it might help her moved on from the incident in the summer" they both flinched at the memories before hugging each other tightly.

As they slowly settled Rick felt Kate drift off to sleep in his arms, but he lay awake thinking , he wanted this to work out so bad, he was overjoyed that Kate had offered him legal adoption of her daughter, who he knew she loved so much and trusted very few people with her, and he was one of them. It didn't surprise him how protective she was, after everything she had been through, she wanted to protect her daughter desperately, and things hadn't been at all easy for either of them recently, he wanted to help them move on, for Livie to feel safe again, in her family. He sighed and closed his eyes, tomorrow he would worry about it, after spending a day with their friends, but he knew that even if he wasn't allowed to adopt Livie, he wouldn't stop loving her, he was her father no matter what happened, and that was all that mattered.

XOXO

Rick looked up as the doorbell rang and Livie came cannoning down the stairs and sprinted towards it pulling it open "hi" she chimed stepping back to let them all in and Rick grinned at them "breakfast is nearly ready" he said "make yourselves at home, Kate will be back shortly, she was just running some errands" they all nodded and slipped in, April and Tali followed Livie up the stairs giggling amongst themselves as she gave them the tour.

When Kate arrived she was holding a large envelope "I believe this is yours" she said as she kissed him "I didn't open it" she whispered, he looked at it before setting it on the side "I'll open it later" he said looking slightly nervous, she nodded and smiled at him before greeting their friends happily.

They all ate breakfast, Rick's pancake tossing skills had improved though a few were still dropped making the girls laugh "hey don't be mean to the chef" Rick said playfully grabbing Livie and pulling her into the kitchen and sprinkling flour in her hair "dad" she laughed "don't" she grabbed her own handful tossing it in his face, he released her and stood there covered in flour, slowly he opened his eyes to look at her and gave her a well known look "uh oh" she said and everyone laughed as she leapt out of reach ducking behind Kate who was helping with the cooking, as he grabbed the bag of flour and approached, Kate gave him a look "throw that at me and you will not be able to sit for a month" she threatened "she threw flour in my face" he whined "yes I know but I am ending this before it becomes world war three" she said "he started it" Livie said peering out from behind her "I'm finishing it" Kate said grinning at her daughter "now go get the flour out of your hair"

Livie grinned as she headed for the stairs "I will best you at laser tag later" she said "bring it" he said playfully making her grin as she headed up the stairs, Kate looked back at Rick to see him looking at the envelope, eying it uncertainly before he turned back to his job of fixing breakfast.

Once they were done, the girls had pretty much planned where to go so with a grin they headed off to their first destination, Times Square.

XOXO

By lunch time they were all exhausted but had had a wonderful day wondering around New York, they had gone to Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Grand Central station and many other places, now they were sitting in Central Park eating a picnic that Rick had prepared. "you know I wish you guys could stay longer" Rick said as he leaned back allowing Kate to lean against him "yeah we do too" Tony said "but if we stay away too long AJ might grow up to fast and be ready to graduate, I swear he is growing up way too fast since he started walking" "and Libby might be ready to have a boyfriend" April said grinning "huh we'll see about that" Booth muttered making them all laugh.

They spent most of the afternoon lounging around in Central Park before heading off shopping and picking up some souvenirs before they headed back to the loft for a while to have a few drinks before they headed home, the adults laughed and joked with each other and the girls giggled amongst themselves until it was late and Booth and Tony instructed their families to go back to their hotel for the night, sadly the girls said their goodbyes to one another and they all went down stairs to hail two cabs and wave goodbye as they pulled away. Then the Castles headed up the stairs and Livie and Alexis headed over to the TV and flicked through the channels until they found a movie and settled down to watch it.

Rick looked at Kate and moved over to the counter to pick up the manila envelope, then he headed for his office and slowly Kate followed closing the door behind her, before she did she looked at Livie sitting on the sofa next to Alexis, her daughter looked at her and smiled and she weakly smiled back before she closed the door and turned to face Rick.

He was leaning against his desk staring at the envelope in his hands uncertainly; slowly she crossed the room and sat on the edge of the desk next to him, slowly she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, he looked at her before catching hold of her hand briefly and holding it as he took a deep steadying breath and with slightly shaking hands he opened the envelope, Kate buried her head into his shoulder closing her eyes as she waited, she listened to him pull out the sheets of paper inside the envelope.

For a minute there was silence, then he let out a choking strangled gasp that mixed with a sob, alarmed she lifted her head to look at him but then he had spun round and was pulling her into his arms hugging her tightly, she hugged him before pulling away her eyes searching his face trying to find the verdict, instead he handed her the documents and she looked at them before she gasped and let out a cry throwing her arms around him and he hugged her tightly a small laugh escaping from him, then he grinned at her and took her out into the living room where both the girls were looking at them oddly wondering what the commotion was about.

Kate moved over to the sofa and caught hold of her daughter hugging her tightly, confused Livie hugged her back "um mom" she said "what's going on", Kate pulled back to smile at her before she moved to sit next to Rick in front of Livie on the coffee table, Livie looked between them confused, Rick looked at Kate and she reached out to take her daughters hand.

"ok" she said gently "Rick and I, we did something, something concerning you, but we didn't want to tell you in case it went wrong" she saw Alexis' eyes widen as she continued "but we got the results and the choice is still yours ok, no pressure honey, if you don't want it we will change it back ok, it is completely up to you ok" Livie looked at them, she looked uncertain, Kate looked at Rick and nudged him gently, he looked at Livie before he handed her a piece of stiff paper, she took it and stared at it before looking up at them totally confused "your birth certificate" Kate said gently "a new one" Livie looked back down at the piece of paper and at the name written on the line.

_Olivia Johanna Beckett Castle_

Livie continued to stare at it for a long while and they all watched her waiting for her reaction, Kate bit her lip, she didn't know how Livie would respond and this waiting was beginning to worry her.

Livie looked up then and her eyes were wet with tears, she stared at Kate before she looked at Rick and then suddenly she hurled herself at him nearly sending him flying as she caught him by surprise. He caught her as she hugged him fiercely and he hugged her tightly back, her head was buried into his shoulder and she lifted it away slightly so they could hear her mumble "does this make you really my dad now", Kate saw the smile on Rick's face widen "yeah kiddo, I am" he said kissing the top of her head, Kate blinked back tears as Livie mumbled "you always were my dad, this just makes it legal" she looked at her mom grinning "I'm a Castle too now", Kate grinned "yeah, we are all Castle's now".

Livie held out one arm still hugging Rick and Kate leaned in before beckoning to Alexis "family hug" she said and grinning Alexis moved forwards and they all hugged each other, clinging to one another tightly, all of them had tears of delight sliding down their cheeks, eventually Kate pulled apart hugging Alexis looking at Rick still clinging to Livie tightly as she rested her head over his heart, she looked so content, happy, as part of their family.

They stayed like that for a while before Kate said gently "anyone feel like bed because tomorrow we have to go tell the team, Lanie is going to flip with delight" they all laughed and nodded and both daughters said goodnight to their parents hugging them fiercely before they headed up to their bedrooms hugging each other in delight.

Kate then looked at Rick before she launched herself at him kissing him passionately as he held her before he lifted her up and still locked in their embrace he carried her into the bedroom and they both fell onto the bed still kissing as they tugged each other's clothes off tossing them aside, she pulled away to smile at him and he gazed up at her "you have no idea how happy you have made me recently Kate" he whispered "letting me follow you around, annoy you to hell, and then letting me help you daughter and then becoming my wife and now this, asking me to legally adopt your daughter, I know how much she means to you and I am honoured that you trust me enough to be her father" Kate smiled and kissed him gently again "I trust you Rick" she whispered "because of everything you have done for me, rescuing me and Livie twice, taking us into your family and showing me that it was safe to feel, I love you so much and I never want to lose you or have Livie lose you" "neither of you shall" he said honestly "though don't let me lose you, don't go being reckless in the face of danger" she grinned at him "when do I ever do that Mr Castle, I think you are talking about yourself" he growled playfully at her before kissing her neck and she smiled as she felt his hands slide down her body to her waist and she kissed him back, her body moving with his, as they made love, passionate yet frantic, and amazing.

XOXO

When Kate woke the next morning she was lying on her side covered with the sheets, she could hear the sounds of clattering in the kitchen and the sounds of Alexis and Livie giggling, she could also feel Rick tracing his fingers along her side and she grinned happily but kept her eyes closed "morning" Rick murmured kissing her shoulder, she mumbled in response and he chuckled before pulling her close against his bare chest, "time to wake up" he said "No" she mumbled playfully "yes" he growled teasingly tickling her in the side making her giggle and roll over.

At that moment they heard the phone ring and they heard Livie answer it "hello" she chimed "hi Lanie" she said and there was a pause before "no they are still in bed" she giggled "I'll go see" "uh oh" Rick muttered, then there was a tap on the door "mom dad wake up" Livie called "we are awake" Kate called "one sec Livs" she leapt up and tossed Rick his robe before grabbing her own and heading to the door, Livie stood there and looked her up and down standing there in the robe before holding out the phone "Lanie for you" she said innocently, Kate rolled her eyes at her daughter and took the phone "hey Lanie" she said with a smile "hey girl how was the party no one answered their phones yesterday" Kate smiled as she headed back to the bed and cuddled back up in Rick's arms "the party was great, yeah we um were out with friends all day, they could only stay for a day so we wanted to spend as much time as possible with them before they head back to DC tonight"

"Brennan, Booth and April were there" Lanie said in surprise "yep" Kate said with a smile "and Tony, Ziva and Tali" she quickly explained before she asked "hey is Javi with you" "yeah" Lanie said "why". Kate looked at Rick "do you two and Ryan want to come over" "yeah sounds awesome, but we have to go in to work so it will only be for an hour or so, why is something up", Kate grinned "tell you when you get here", Lanie sighed "alright, we'll call Ryan, he will probably be glad since Jenny is visiting her folks," "ok, see you in an hour or so yeah" "yeah" Lanie said "see ya" and she hung up.

Kate turned to Rick only to have his lips come down on hers "hey" she mumbled past them "time to get up" "no" he mumbled and she rolled her eyes "fine" she said "stay in bed and get teased by the boys", he gave a mock sigh before he hauled himself out of bed and they both dressed before heading out to the kitchen where they both stopped in surprise as they found breakfast already made "bout time" Livie said "it's getting cold" Kate looked at her "wow what's the occasion" she asked "Alexis and I have decided that this day henceforth is family day" Livie said with a grin "yes" Alexis said grinning as she carried a plate of bacon over to the table "the first day where we all became Castle's" Livie grinned "yeah" she said "I like the sound of another celebration day" Rick said heading over to the table to eat, Kate grinned and followed him over.

They had just finished when the doorbell went and Alexis ran to open it "hi guys" she greeted letting the team in "hey Lex" Esposito said "Mmm something smells good" "help yourself to leftovers" Kate said leaning back "Alexis and Livie made it all" "hey mini Beckett" Esposito said with a smile, she grinned at them "you can't call me that anymore" she said with a small pout, they all looked at her questioningly, then Lanie's eyes widened and she squealed "um did we miss something" Ryan asked, Livie looked at Kate and Rick who nodded, she leapt up and went and picked up the documents on the table before heading over to stand next to Rick.

"from now on you have to call me Mini Castle" she said with a grin handing them the documents, both of the boys stared at the birth certificate before looking up, from Livie, to Rick to Kate in confusion, smiling Rick handed them the other form and their eyes widened "dude" Ryan said staring "you got legal adoption of Livie" Rick grinned nodding "and a new birth certificate" he said proudly, they both looked at Livie who was grinning "I'm Livie Castle now" she said, both the boys stared at her before they whooped "hey that's awesome" Ryan exclaimed as Lanie launched herself at Kate hugging her best friend tightly "I can't believe it worked" she gasped, "me neither" Kate said grinning as Ryan and Esposito hugged Livie and congratulated Rick who was beaming proudly at Livie who's eyes were shining with delight.

They stayed for an hour talking excitedly until regretfully the team had to leave "you coming in again tomorrow" Ryan asked Kate and she nodded as she hugged "think Gates might be a bit pissed off if I miss anymore days, I have missed a lot recently" he grinned and hugged her "see you tomorrow Kate" he said and she smiled before releasing him and hugging her other friends watching as they headed out of the door then she turned to find Alexis and Livie clearing up from breakfast and she saw Rick disappearing into his study, she followed him and found him carefully placing the certificate of legal adoption in a frame, he smiled at her and set it on top of the chest of drawers behind him, then he looked at her "what do you think" he asked, she smiled and moved forward to kiss him "I think" she mumbled "that you are a wonderful man and the most amazing father, and that Livie and I are lucky to have you" he smiled "and I feel the same about having you" she grinned at him happily kissing him again until they heard the doorbell "who's that" he murmured "the Booths and the DiNozzos" she said "well I know the girls were coming round I don't know about the others".

They exited the study to find them all standing talking to Livie "has she told you our news" Kate asked moving over to hug them all "yeah" April said "that's awesome" "indeed it is" Ziva said hugging her, Livie was still smiling the same smile that she had been smiling since she had received the news "let's go to the roof" she said "the sun is out but let's not go anywhere" "sensible" Booth said "our flight is this afternoon".

So they headed up and talked for a while before Livie mused "if Alexis and I hadn't witnessed that shooting do you think we would all be here today" they all thought, "I guess not" April said "I mean we might have talked because we met at the party and Tali and I might have met but our team wouldn't have formed" they all pondered that, how one little thing could have changed all, if Alexis and Livie had been in a different area they would never have met NCIS, if the killings hadn't been linked they would have never met the Jeffersonion team, one instant could really change everything.

"and if we didn't have the same pasts" April said looking at Livie and Tali sitting on either side of her "we wouldn't have such a strong friendship" "the unity between our teams wouldn't be as strong" Kate added they all nodded "so we are like this now because of what happened to us in the past" April said, she smiled "and for that I am glad of what happened to me" "me two" Tali said "me three" Livie said grinning "it helped us form our alliance" everyone looked at the three of them "we may be young but our alliance is strong, and it will be strong forever" April said the three of them grinned and moved over to the edge of the building "we will look after each other always right" Tali said "best friends" "yeah" April said before she suddenly shouted out over the edge.

"Cus no one tries to break our friendship"

The other two laughed and then the three of them raised their united hands in the air, their parents smiled at them as all three of them shouted into the wind

"And god help anyone who messes with our Alliance"

Everyone laughed and Kate looked around at their children as they let out howls of unity and then at the rest of their team who were all smiling at their children, they had an alliance too, but theirs was thanks to three very special girls, three girls who had their own little lifelong Adolescent Alliance.

The End

**Well really painful to say but that is it, the end of An Adolescent Alliance, I am really missing writing it already.**

**Thanks to my consistant reviewers:**

**Phnxgrl**

**Bobby-John09**

**Dinomus**

**And to all those others who reviewed from time to time – each and every one of them was appreciated.**

**A big thank you also goes out to the real Livie, who helped me write this, supported me when I was stuck and gave me ideas, helping me discover the characters that we created, thank you, without you this story would not be possible**

**Thank you again, please for the last time REVIEW, I would love to hear your final thoughts**

**PLEASE READ THE EPILOGUE TO THIS STORY:_ THE NEXT CHAPTER OF OUR LIVES_, OUT NOW  
**

**Thanks**

**Mysticgirl**


	22. Author's Note - New Story

**NEW STORY!**

**Hi everyone.**

**I just want to say a big thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing. I loved hearing what you thought.**

**I just thought that I would let you know that I have co written another story similar to this one with my friend who helped me out with the last one – Miss Ziva Beckett. **

**It involves all three teams and their children again. It is in no way linked to An Adolescent Alliance so will not follow what happened in it but it is similar. It also involves a brand new daughter by the name of Blair and she joins our little rugged dysfunctional alliance.**

**There is action, adventure, crime, friendship and of course a case involving robbery and murder.**

**We would really love it if you would give it a try – the first chapter has just been uploaded now.**

**It is called Kindred Spirits and is published under my name.**

**Thanks very much and we would love to hear what you think.**

**Lots of love**

**Mysticgirl and Ziva Beckett**


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